Most football superstars advertise their lives. Martin Ødegaard hides his. The 26-year-old Norwegian midfielder — captain of Arsenal and of the Norway national team — has spent his rise building something money cannot buy: a genuinely private family life (football.london).
That privacy made headlines again in September 2026, when his wife Helene Spilling stepped back into competitive dancing after a three-year break and lined up an appearance on the 2026 edition of Mesternes Mester, Norway’s popular reality series (Nogomania). It was a reminder that behind Arsenal’s captain stands one of Norway’s most decorated dancers — and a young family kept firmly out of the spotlight.
From a wedding in two acts to a multi-million-pound home defended by lawyers, here is the quiet world of Martin Ødegaard.
The dancer who stole the captain’s heart
Ødegaard’s route to the top was anything but ordinary. He joined Real Madrid as a 15-year-old wonderkid, rebuilt his career through loan spells including Real Sociedad, then arrived at Arsenal on loan in January 2021 before making the move permanent later that year (football.london). Today he wears the captain’s armband for both club and country.
But the person who shares his life is a star in her own right. Helene Spilling is a former professional Norwegian dancer and television personality who began dancing at the age of 12, went on to compete in Lithuania, won the Norwegian dance championship 17 times, represented Norway at European and world tournaments, and lifted the trophy in season 17 of Norway’s version of Dancing with the Stars (football.london; El Balad).
Her empire off the dance floor is no small thing either. She founded and owns The Zone Dance Studio in Oslo, described as the largest in the city, launched the Davay clothing brand, and works as a brand ambassador for Thune, a leading Norwegian jewellery brand (El Balad).
The couple began dating in early 2023 and made their first public appearance together at the London Football Awards in March of that year (football.london).
A wedding in two acts
Ødegaard and Spilling did things their way. They married quietly in a private civil ceremony in November 2024 — after which she took the name Helene Spilling Odegaard — before celebrating properly with a larger wedding ceremony in Gjerdrum, Norway, in June 2025, surrounded by family, friends and several of Ødegaard’s Arsenal teammates (football.london; Daily Cannon).
Parenthood came first. The couple announced in August 2024 that they were expecting their first child, and their son Matheo was born on 1 December 2024 (football.london; Nogomania).
The £7.7 million home they refuse to show off
The young family set up home near London, reportedly in the countryside northwest of the city, in a property said to have cost 103 million Norwegian kroner — roughly £7.7 million (football.london).
And they are fiercely protective of it. In June 2025, Ødegaard took legal action against the Norwegian tabloid Se og Hør and its partner Dagbladet after they published the property’s location and photographs. His lawyer, Tim Lowles, wrote that the coverage significantly infringed the family’s privacy under the European Convention on Human Rights — but the publications refused to take the articles down (Daily Cannon).
It is a stance that defines the couple: wealthy, high-profile, and determined to keep their front door firmly shut. Like fellow Arsenal star Bukayo Saka, Ødegaard has built his wealth quietly — though their lifestyles could not be more different.
The money behind the quiet life
Ødegaard’s discretion does not extend to modesty of income. His Arsenal salary is reported at around £240,000 a week, and his net worth is estimated at £20–25 million (roughly $25–35 million) — though both figures remain estimates rather than confirmed fact (Times of India; Times of India).
Off the pitch, his commercial portfolio includes a partnership with Adidas, one of the game’s biggest brands (Icon Polls). His Arsenal teammate Declan Rice and fellow England star Phil Foden earn at a similar level — proof of how far the Premier League’s elite wages have come.
Fatherhood and the return to the dance floor
If there is one thing Ødegaard talks about openly, it is family. The captain has spoken about how fatherhood brought balance to his life — coming home to his wife and son allows him to switch off from football completely (Nogomania).
That home rhythm is about to change tempo. In September 2026, Helene confirmed her return to competitive dancing after a three-year break, setting up her appearance on the 2026 edition of Mesternes Mester (Nogomania).
Conclusion
Martin Ødegaard could live the loud superstar life. Instead, the 26-year-old has chosen a different script: a secret wedding, a hidden home, a baby son, and a wife whose own career is now taking centre stage again.
As Helene steps back onto the dance floor and Ødegaard continues to lead Arsenal and Norway, one thing is clear — the captain’s most carefully managed project is not on the pitch. It is the private life he has built, and guarded, around it.
