Rustam Akhmedzade

Rustam Alamovych Akhmedzade (Azerbaijani: Rüstəm Aləm oğlu Əhmədzadə; Ukrainian: Рустам Аламович Ахмедзаде; born 25 December 2000) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Zira FK, on loan from Qarabağ in the Azerbaijan Premier League. Born in Ukraine, he plays for the Azerbaijan national team.

Club career

Akhmedzade was born in Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Ukraine to an Azerbaijani father and Ukrainian mother. At the age of 6, he moved to Kyiv and played football for local side Zirka Kyiv before moving to Oleksandriya at the age of 16. In 2018, he joined FC Kolos Kovalivka.

In February 2020, Akhmedzade signed a half-year loan deal with the Ukrainian Second League Podillya Khmelnytskyi, and in July 2020, Akhmedzade signed a contract with FC Mynai.

Akhmedzade made his Ukrainian First League debut for Mynai in a 2–1 home victory against Metalurh Zaporizhya on 19 July 2020. He scored his first goal for Mynai in the Ukrainian First League match against Avanhard in a 2–0 away victory on 7 August 2020.

On 15 December 2021, Akhmedzade signed for Qarabağ on a contract until 30 June 2026. He was loaned to Zira in July 2022.

International career

Akhmedzade was eligible to represent either Ukraine or Azerbaijan at international level through his parents. He was first called up to the Azerbaijani national team in May 2021 and made his debut in a 2–1 friendly win over Belarus on 2 June 2021.

Honours

Mynai

• Ukrainian First League: 2019–20