Kasper Dolberg Rasmussen (Danish pronunciation: [ˈkʰæspɐ ˈtʌlˌpɛɐ̯ˀ]; born 6 October 1997) is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Belgian Pro League club Anderlecht and the Denmark national team.[2]

Kasper Dolberg
Dolberg warming up with Nice in 2021
Personal information
Full name Kasper Dolberg Rasmussen[1]
Date of birth (1997-10-06) 6 October 1997 (age 27)[1]
Place of birth Silkeborg, Denmark
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
Anderlecht
Number 12
Youth career
2005–2010 GFG Voel
2010–2014 Silkeborg IF
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2015 Silkeborg IF 3 (0)
2015–2019 Ajax 78 (33)
2019–2023 Nice 74 (23)
2022Sevilla (loan) 4 (0)
2023TSG Hoffenheim (loan) 13 (1)
2023– Anderlecht 53 (25)
International career
2013 Denmark U16 7 (1)
2013–2014 Denmark U17 8 (5)
2015 Denmark U19 8 (2)
2016 Denmark U21 1 (1)
2016– Denmark 54 (11)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19:15, 24 November 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 04:00, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

Dolberg made his senior debut at Silkeborg IF in May 2015. He joined Ajax in July 2015 and made his debut for the club in July 2016. He represented Denmark at under-16, under-17, under-19 and under-21 level before making his senior international debut in November 2016.

In May 2020, Dolberg was voted as player of the year by the fans of his club OGC Nice. While at Ajax, he was named Dutch Football Talent of the year after his first season in the Eredivisie in 2017.

Club career

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Silkeborg IF

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On 17 May 2015, he made his senior debut for Silkeborg IF in a Danish Superliga game against Brøndby IF, replacing Adeola Lanre Runsewe after 63 minutes in a 0-2 loss.[3]

Ajax

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Dolberg with Ajax teammates (including Matthijs de Ligt and Donny van de Beek) in 2016.

On 5 January 2015, Ajax announced that 17-year-old Dolberg would join from Silkeborg IF in the summer, signing a three-year contract valid from summer 2015 until summer 2018.[4] He had been spotted by Danish scout John Steen Olsen, the same scout who discovered players such as Zlatan Ibrahimović, Viktor Fischer, and Christian Eriksen for the Dutch capital club.[5] On 13 May 2016, Dolberg agreed to have his contract extended until 2021.[6]

On 26 July 2016, Dolberg scored his first goal in European competition on his competitive debut for Ajax, in a 1–1 Champions League qualification match against PAOK.[7] He made his Eredivisie debut for the club on 7 August 2016 in a match against Sparta Rotterdam, coming on as a substitute for Mateo Cassierra.[8] The following week he was in the starting line-up for the league match against Roda JC and he scored both of Ajax's goals in the 2–2 draw, his first goals in the Eredivisie.[9] On 29 September 2016, Dolberg scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Standard Liège in a Europa League match.[10] He scored another goal in his first Klassieker against Ajax's great rival Feyenoord on 23 October 2016, securing a 1–1 draw away in Rotterdam.[11] On 20 November 2016, he scored a first-half hat-trick in an Eredivisie match against NEC.[12] This made him the youngest non-Dutch player ever to score a hattrick for Ajax.[13] On 9 March 2017, Dolberg scored the equalizer in what ended in a 2–1 loss to F.C. Copenhagen in the round of 16 of the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League campaign, thus ending a club record eight-month period in which Copenhagen had not conceded any goals at their home ground at Parken Stadium since 20 August 2016.[14]

Nice

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Dolberg signed for Nice in Ligue 1 on 29 August 2019 for a fee of 20.5 million euros.[15] He finished his first season in France as the club's top scorer with 11 goals and was named the club's player of the season, as Nice finished in fifth place, securing a spot in the group stage for next season's UEFA Europa League.[16]

Dolberg started the 2020–21 season with a brace on 29 August 2020 against Strasbourg, securing his team a 2–0 away win.[17]

Loan to Sevilla

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Dolberg joined La Liga club Sevilla on loan on 1 September 2022, initially planned to last for a season.[18] However, the loan was terminated prematurely on 2 January 2023, with Dolberg only making eight appearances for the Spanish club.[19]

Loan to TSG Hoffenheim

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On 2 January 2023, Dolberg was loaned to Bundesliga side TSG Hoffenheim for the remainder of the 2022–23 season.[20]

Anderlecht

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On 7 July 2023, Belgian Pro League club Anderlecht announced the signing of Dolberg from Nice on a four-year contract.[2] Dolberg scored his first goal for Anderlecht on 6 August 2023, the winner in a 1–0 victory over Royal Antwerp.[21]

International career

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In November 2016, Dolberg received his first call-up to the senior Denmark squad for matches against Kazakhstan and Czech Republic.[22] On 11 November 2016, he made his senior international debut, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 4–1 victory for Denmark over Kazakhstan.[23] On 10 June 2017, in a 1–3 away win against Kazakhstan in the qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup, he came on as a substitute for Yussuf Poulsen after 68 minutes and scored his first international goal in the 81st minute.[24]

In June 2018 he was named in Denmark's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[25]

In May 2021, he was selected in the final 26-man squad for the postponed UEFA Euro 2020 tournament.[26] Dolberg made his first start in the tournament, replacing the injured Yussuf Poulsen, in Denmark's round of 16 tie against Wales on 26 June and scored twice in a 4–0 win.[27] He scored his third goal of the tournament in the quarter-finals against Czech Republic after a spectacular cross from Joakim Mæhle.[28][29]

Personal life

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On 16 September 2019, Dolberg reported to the police that his luxury watch at an estimated value of €70,000 was stolen. Following a police investigation, in which the police recovered a surveillance video showing the culprit stealing the watch, his teammate Lamine Diaby-Fadiga confessed to the crime ten days later.[30] Diaby was later sacked by the club.[31]

On 8 November 2021, Dolberg announced that he had been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.[32]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 24 November 2024[33][34]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Silkeborg IF 2014–15 Danish Superliga 3 0 0 0 3 0
Ajax 2016–17 Eredivisie 29 16 2 0 17[b] 7 48 23
2017–18 23 6 3 3 4[c] 0 30 9
2018–19 25 11 4 1 9[d] 0 38 12
2019–20 1 0 0 0 1[d] 0 1[e] 1 3 1
Total 78 33 9 4 31 7 1 1 119 45
Nice 2019–20 Ligue 1 23 11 3 0 26 11
2020–21 25 6 1 0 3[f] 0 29 6
2021–22 26 6 4 1 30 7
Total 74 23 8 1 3 0 85 24
Sevilla (loan) 2022–23 La Liga 4 0 0 0 4[d] 0 8 0
TSG Hoffenheim (loan) 2022–23 Bundesliga 13 1 1 1 14 2
Anderlecht 2023–24 Belgian Pro League 39 15 3 0 42 15
2024–25 14 10 1 3 6[f] 1 21 14
Total 53 25 4 3 6 1 63 29
Career total 225 82 22 9 44 8 1 1 292 100
  1. ^ Includes KNVB Cup, Coupe de France, DFB-Pokal, Belgian Cup
  2. ^ Four appearances and one goal in UEFA Champions League, thirteen appearances and six goals in UEFA Europa League
  3. ^ Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League
  4. ^ a b c Appearance(s) in UEFA Champions League
  5. ^ Appearance in Johan Cruyff Shield
  6. ^ a b Appearances in UEFA Europa League

International

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As of match played 18 November 2024[35]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Denmark 2016 1 0
2017 3 1
2018 6 0
2019 7 4
2020 5 0
2021 10 5
2022 8 1
2023 3 0
2024 11 0
Total 54 11
As of match played 18 November 2024. Denmark score listed first, score column indicates score after each Dolberg goal.[35]
International goals by date, venue, cap, opponent, score, result and competition
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
1 10 June 2017 Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan 3   Kazakhstan 3–1 3–1 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
2 10 June 2019 Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark 13   Georgia 1–0 5–1 UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
3 3–1
4 15 October 2019 Aalborg Stadium, Aalborg, Denmark 15   Luxembourg 2–0 4–0 Friendly
5 3–0
6 28 March 2021 MCH Arena, Herning, Denmark 23   Moldova 1–0 8–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
7 6–0
8 26 June 2021 Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands 28   Wales 1–0 4–0 UEFA Euro 2020
9 2–0
10 3 July 2021 Olympic Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan 29   Czech Republic 2–0 2–1
11 25 September 2022 Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark 37   France 1–0 2–0 2022–23 UEFA Nations League A

Honours

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Ajax[36]

Nice[36]

Individual

References

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  1. ^ a b c "FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 List of Players" (PDF). FIFA. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 August 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Kasper Dolberg signs for RSCA". R.S.C. Anderlecht. 7 July 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  3. ^ "Silkeborg vs. Brøndby IF - 17 May 2015 - Soccerway". soccerway.com. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  4. ^ "Ajax legt 'buitengewoon talent' Dolberg vast" [Ajax secures "exceptional talent" Dolberg]. vi.nl (in Dutch). Voetbal International. 5 January 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  5. ^ "Kijktip: Portret Deense meesterscout". Ajax (in Dutch). 12 January 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  6. ^ "Ajax breekt contract met talent Holberg open". vi.nl (in Dutch). Voetbal International. 5 January 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  7. ^ "Ajax vs. PAOK". soccerway.com. Soccerway. 26 July 2016.
  8. ^ "Sparta Rotterdam vs. Ajax". soccerway.com. Soccerway. 7 August 2016.
  9. ^ "Ajax vs. Roda JC". soccerway.com. Soccerway. 13 August 2016.
  10. ^ "Ajax vs. Standard Liège". soccerway.com. Soccerway. 29 September 2016.
  11. ^ "Feyenoord vs. Ajax". soccerway.com. Soccerway. 23 October 2016.
  12. ^ "Razendsnelle hattrick Dolberg". De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 20 November 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  13. ^ "Dolberg verwerft zich plek in de recordboeken" (in Dutch). AFC Ajax. 20 November 2016.
  14. ^ "Dolberg: 'Ik weet niet wat ik verkeerd deed'" (in Dutch). AjaxShowtime. 10 March 2017.
  15. ^ "OFFICIEEL: Kasper Dolberg naar OGC Nice" (in Dutch). AFC Ajax. 29 August 2019.
  16. ^ a b "Dolberg crowned". OGCNice.com. OGC Nice. 22 May 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  17. ^ "Dolberg delights as Nice beat Strasbourg, Rennes edge Montpellier". Eurosport. 29 August 2020.
  18. ^ "Kasper Dolberg joins on loan". Sevilla FC. 1 September 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  19. ^ "Agreement with OGC Nice to terminate Dolberg's loan deal". Sevilla FC. 2 January 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  20. ^ "TSG sign striker Kasper Dolberg on loan". TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. 2 January 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  21. ^ "Three points against Antwerp". rsca.be. 6 August 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  22. ^ "Hareide tager teenagekomet med på landsholdet" (in Danish). b.dk. 4 November 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  23. ^ "Eriksen sprudleri dansk 4–1 sejr" (in Danish). dbu.dk. 11 November 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  24. ^ W, Christian (10 June 2017). "Very nice! Danes get past Kazakhstan in World Cup qualifier". The Copenhagen Post. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  25. ^ "Revealed: Every World Cup 2018 squad - Final 23-man lists | Goal.com".
  26. ^ "26 spillere klar til EM for Danmark" [26 players ready for the European Championship for Denmark]. Danish Football Association (in Danish). 25 May 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  27. ^ "Wales 0-4 Denmark". UEFA. 26 June 2021.
  28. ^ Doyle, Paul (3 July 2021). "Dolberg and Delaney send Denmark past Czechs and into semi-finals". the Guardian.
  29. ^ "Maehle cross, assist in Denmark - Czech Republic - Video". ProSoccerTalk | NBC Sports. 3 July 2021.
  30. ^ "Diaby Gadiga reconnait avoir volé-la montre de Dolberg". Eurosport. 26 September 2019. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
  31. ^ "Lamine Diaby-Fadiga sacked by Nice after stealing team-mate's watch". BBC Sport. 1 October 2019.
  32. ^ "Kasper Dolberg har fået konstateret sukkersyge" (in Danish). b.dk. 8 November 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  33. ^ "Kasper Dolberg » Club matches". WorldFootball.net. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  34. ^ "K. Dolberg". Soccerway. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  35. ^ a b "Dolberg, Kasper". National Football Teams. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  36. ^ a b "Kasper Dolberg - Career Honours". Soccerway. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  37. ^ "2016/17: United win it for Manchester". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 30 May 2017. Archived from the original on 20 November 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  38. ^ "Dolberg in Denemarken uitgeroepen tot Talent van het Jaar". fcupdate.nl (in Dutch). FC Update. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  39. ^ "Bosz genomineerd voor Rinus Michels Award". ajaxshowtime.com. Ajax Showtime. 8 May 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  40. ^ "Dolberg named Eredivisie talent of the year". football-oranje.com. Football Oranje. 16 May 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
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