Martin Braithwaite

Esbjerg fB

Braithwaite started out in the academy at Sædding-Guldager Idrætsforening (SGI), after which he joined the biggest club in his city, Esbjerg fB. He then spent a short time at FC Midtjylland's sports academy, before moving back to Esbjerg, signing a three-year youth contract in 2007. During his second stint at the Esbjerg academy, Braithwaite went on trials with both Reggina and Newcastle United. He eventually made his Esbjerg debut in 2009, making 63 Superliga appearances for the club and scoring 12 goals, including nine in the 2012–13 season during which he appeared in every league game for the club. He won the Danish Cup with the club in 2012–13, scoring two goals in the semi-final second leg win over Brøndby. Following his impressive displays for Esbjerg in the 2013 Superliga spring season and the Danish Cup he was called up to the Danish national squad in the summer of 2013. At the same time he was being rumoured to be attracting the interest of a number of European clubs including Auxerre, Rennes, Celtic and Hull City.

Toulouse

On 14 August 2013, while away on national duty for a friendly international against Poland, Danish public broadcaster DR reported that Braithwaite had been sold to French club Toulouse for an estimated DKK 15 million (roughly €2 million). Braithwaite scored a career-best 11 league goals in both 2015–16 and 2016–17. His tally for the latter campaign included two goals in a 4–1 home win over rivals Bordeaux in the Derby…

Having already represented several Danish national youth teams, in the summer of 2012, Braithwaite was offered the chance to represent Guyana, being eligible through his Guyanese father. He declined the offer and went on to make his senior debut for the Danish national team in June 2013 in a friendly against Georgia, starting the game and playing the first half. He remained in the squad for the 2014 World Cup qualification match against Armenia. Braithwaite scored his first international goal in his second match in a friendly in August 2013 against Poland. In May 2018, he was named in Denmark's final 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. On 16 October that year, he scored in a 2–0 friendly win over Austria, ending a five-year goal drought. Braithwaite was part of the Danish squad that reached the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 2020, held in 2021. He scored the last goal of their 4–0 last-16 win over Wales in Amsterdam. On 7 November 2022, he was selected in the Danish squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Club

As of match played 23 July 2026

International

As of match played 7 September 2023

Denmark's score listed first, score column indicates score after each Braithwaite goal.

Braithwaite has a Guyanese father and his younger sister Mathilde (born 2002) played college football for the Hofstra Pride women's soccer team. His father Keith's birth surname was Brathwaite, the more common spelling in the Caribbean, but it was changed by US authorities to Braithwaite when Keith arrived in the country. When Braithwaite was 5 years old he was diagnosed with Legg-Calve-Perthes disease. Braithwaite is the nephew and business partner of the Danish-born, American-based, real estate developer Gareth Roger James Smith. They co-own real estate in the New York Market and are building a high-rise in Jersey City, New Jersey. Braithwaite is married to French entrepreneur, journalist and television personality Anne-Laure Louis Braithwaite. They have two sons and a daughter together. He is also the stepfather of his wife's two children from a previous relationship.