OMM Newsroom
A message Murad Mammadov sent to Mahir Emreli in 2019 has attracted attention on social media after Mammadov was called up to the Azerbaijan national team. At the time, the 13-year-old footballer wrote that Emreli’s goal celebration had inspired him to score and make a heart gesture for his mother.
“Hello, Emreli. You scored a goal and made a heart for your mother. I’ll score a goal and make a heart for my mother too, God willing. It won’t be long — I’m coming to the national team,” Mammadov wrote.
Call-up and career
Seven years later, Mammadov has received a call-up to the senior national team. Aykhan Abbasov included him in the 27-player squad he announced for the November matches. Mahir Emreli, whom Mammadov once looked up to, is also on the list.
The midfielder, born on April 26, 2006, came through Neftchi’s academy and was promoted to the first team in the 2024/2025 season. He made 39 appearances for the Baku club, scoring four goals and providing four assists.
Mammadov joined Pafos in the summer of 2026 and signed a contract with the club until June 2030. He scored in the 84th minute of the second leg against Salzburg in the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round; the match ended 3-3.
Mammadov has represented Azerbaijan’s U-17, U-18, U-19 and U-21 teams. He recorded one goal and one assist in 11 appearances for the U-21 side. Azerbaijan will play away against Liechtenstein on November 13 and face Andorra in a friendly on November 16. The match against Liechtenstein will kick off at 23:45 Baku time.
The footballer previously said that, after joining Pafos, he had told his father of his ambition to play in Europe: “Once, while we were sitting at home, I told my father that one day I would play for clubs like these, and he would watch my European competition matches from home. Thankfully, I’m here now and very happy.”
