Emin Mahmudov

1.1. Early Career: Saturn Ramenskoye

Emin Mahmudov was born in Saatly, Azerbaijan, on April 27, 1992. As a child, his family moved to Russia, where he began his football journey in the youth academy of Saturn Ramenskoye. He progressed to the senior team during the 2010 season. Mahmudov made his professional debut in the Russian Premier League on April 24, 2010, at the age of 17, in a match against Dinamo Moscow. Later that year, on November 20, he scored his first senior-level goal against Anzhi. In his inaugural season in the Premier League, Mahmudov played a total of 22 matches.

1.2. Spartak Moscow and Loan Spells

Following the dissolution of Saturn Ramenskoye, Mahmudov signed a long-term contract with Spartak Moscow as a free agent on January 15, 2011. He played the full 90 minutes in the opening game of the 2011-12 season against Rostov. Despite a promising start and appearing in a total of 12 matches for Spartak during that season, he was unable to secure a consistent spot in the main squad. Between 2012 and 2014, Mahmudov spent three seasons playing on loan for other Russian Premier League teams, including Tomsk and Krylia Sovetov, and also featured for Spartak's reserve team.

1.3. Krylia Sovetov

On January 31, 2014, after a one-year loan spell, Krylia Sovetov purchased Mahmudov permanently from Spartak for 250.00 K EUR. In the same season, Krylia Sovetov was relegated from the Russian Premier League. However, the club made a quick return, winning the Russian Football National League championship in the 2014-15 season and earning promotion back to the Premier League. Mahmudov's involvement in that championship-winning season was limited due to a fractured leg injury he sustained in September 2014, causing him to miss most of the campaign.

He made his comeback to the Russian Premier League on August 9, 2015, in a match against his former club, Spartak Moscow. On August 31, it was announced that Mahmudov would move on loan to Mordovia Saransk until the conclusion of the 2015-16 season. He debuted for Mordovia on September 20 and quickly established himself as a regular starter in the team.

1.4. Boavista

On July 21, 2016, Mahmudov signed a two-year contract with Portuguese club Boavista. He made his debut for Boavista in a Primeira Liga match against Sporting Lisbon on November 26, 2016. Less than a month later, on December 23, 2016, Mahmudov scored his first goal for the club in a Primeira Liga away game against Nacional.

1.5. Neftchi Baku

On September 18, 2017, Neftchi Baku signed Mahmudov to a contract that extended until the end of the 2017-18 season. His Azerbaijan Premier League debut for Neftchi Baku came on September 24, 2017, against Gabala. He scored his first goal for Neftchi Baku in an Azerbaijan Premier League match against Gabala on November 19, 2017. On June 17, 2018, Mahmudov renewed his contract with Neftchi PFK, committing to the club until the end of the 2019-20 season. In the summer of 2019, following the departure of Ruslan Abishov, Mahmudov was appointed the new captain of the club.

After Neftchi finished in second place for two consecutive seasons, Mahmudov played a crucial role in the club's triumph in the 2020-21 season, securing the championship title. His outstanding performances for both Neftchi and the national team led to his selection as the Azerbaijani Footballer of the Year in a vote held at the end of 2021, an honor he received again in 2022.

2.1. Youth National Teams

As a dual citizen, Mahmudov was eligible to play for both the Azerbaijan and Russia national teams. He played for Azerbaijani youth national teams until 2007, before joining the Russian national team system. Mahmudov represented Russia at all youth levels until 2014. Notably, he twice became champion of the Commonwealth of Independent States Cup in 2012 and 2013 with the Russian under-21 team.

2.2. Senior National Team

In 2016, Mahmudov made the decision to play for the Azerbaijan senior national team. He made his debut in a 1-0 victory over San Marino during the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign.

In 2021, Mahmudov achieved several new records for the Azerbaijani national team. He became the first player to score 7 international goals in a single calendar year and the first to score 4 goals in a single qualification event, both accomplished during the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification tournament. He is currently the second-highest goal scorer in the history of the national team, with a total of 14 goals.

3.1. Club Statistics

Notes:

• The "Other" column for Krylia Sovetov (loan) in the 2012-13 season includes appearances in the Russian Premier League relegation play-offs.
• European appearances for Neftchi Baku are detailed as follows:
  • 2018-19: 1 appearance and 1 goal in UEFA Europa League.
  • 2019-20: 6 appearances and 3 goals in UEFA Europa League.
  • 2020-21: 2 appearances in UEFA Europa League.
  • 2021-22: 2 appearances and 1 goal in UEFA Europa League, 2 appearances and 1 goal in UEFA Europa Conference League, and 4 appearances and 2 goals in UEFA Champions League.
  • 2022-23: 4 appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League.
  • 2023-24: 4 appearances and 1 goal in UEFA Europa Conference League.

3.2. International Statistics

Mahmudov's international statistics reflect his contributions to the Azerbaijan national team.