Josefine Hasbo

Hasbo joined Brøndby IF, one of Denmark's leading clubs, in the summer of 2018. She quickly broke into the Danish A-Liga (then known as the Gjensidige Women’s League) where she emerged as one of Denmark’s best young players. With Brøndby, she helped the team win the 2019 league championship and reach the Danish Cup final. Hasbo also competed in consecutive UEFA Champions League campaigns, reaching the quarterfinals in both 2019–20 and 2020–21. She was named Woman of the Match against Glasgow City in the 2019–20 quarterfinals, scored in the round of 16 against Vålerenga, and started both matches against Lyon in the 2020–21 quarterfinals. Her domestic performances earned her selection to Gjensidige’s Team of the Year in 2019–20 and a nomination as a finalist for Danish Female Footballer of the Year.^[4]

Josefine Hasbo played four seasons (from 2021 to 2024) as a central midfielder for the Harvard Crimson, scoring 25 goals and providing 17 assists in 55 appearances. She ranks ninth all-time in career points, ninth in career goals, and tied for 13th in career assists, despite missing multiple games during her sophomore, junior, and senior years while participating in senior national team call-ups and tournaments for Denmark.

In her junior season in 2023, Hasbo scored a hat-trick in the Ivy League tournament final, leading Harvard to a 3–0 victory over Columbia and securing the conference title. She was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, was a unanimous First-Team All-Ivy League selection, and earned United Soccer Coaches First-Team All-America honors. She was also recognized as a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy.^[5]

During the summers following her sophomore and senior years, Hasbo represented Denmark at the 2023 FIFA World Cup and 2025 UEFA Euro.^[2][3] She was the first student in Harvard University history to represent her home country in the FIFA Women's World Cup.

In her senior year, Hasbo was one of three finalists for the Harvard 2025 Mary G. Paget Prize, an annual honor awarded to student-athletes who make the most outstanding contributions to women’s athletics.^[6]

In interviews, Hasbo has described the challenge of balancing her responsibilities as a student-athlete at Harvard University with frequent travel to Europe every two to three months for training camps and matches with the Denmark women's national football team.^[7] While completing a double degree under the same academic requirements as other Harvard students, she completed much of her coursework while traveling, often studying on buses and flights. During national team camps, Hasbo has said that while teammates spent their downtime socializing, she frequently remained in the hotel to work on academic assignments. She also recalled taking a Harvard econometrics midterm examination remotely while with the Denmark national team in Iceland during UEFA Nations League matches, sitting the exam simultaneously with other students on campus, with a member of the Danish national team staff serving as the exam proctor.^[8][9]

At age 18, Hasbo made her senior international debut on 7 March 2020 against Sweden at the 2020 Algarve Cup.^[16] It made her one of the youngest players ever to be selected for the full Danish national team.^[17]

Hasbo was called up to represent Denmark at the 2023 FIFA World Cup in the summer following her sophomore year, becoming the only non-professional player on Denmark’s roster while completing her studies at Harvard.^[18] She played in all four matches of the tournament, starting in two — against China and England — as Denmark advanced from the group stage before being eliminated by Australia in the round of 16.^[19]

In a 2025 DR1 and DRTV documentary series, The Danish National Team – The Dream of the Euros, it was revealed that during a Euro 2025 qualifier against the Czech Republic in April 2024, Hasbo suffered multiple broken ribs after a tackle. Despite the injury, she continued playing and later scored the final goal that secured Denmark’s victory.^[20]

Right after her Harvard graduation ceremony, Hasbo was named to Denmark’s squad for the UEFA Euro 2025 in Switzerland.^[21] She played in all three of Denmark’s group-stage matches before the team was eliminated from the tournament.^[22]

Harvard head coach Chris Hamblin described Hasbo as “her ability to cover ground and go box-to-box are second to none. She also has a really unique ability to understand time and space, to be able to get out of very tight situations, and almost think two plays ahead.”^[23]

At the professional level, reports have highlighted her work rate, positional intelligence, and ability to link defense and attack through efficient passing. Her coaches and media coverage have described her as a technically composed and tactically disciplined player who contributes to both pressing and possession phases.^[24]

She was described by supporters as “the unsung hero” of Gotham’s midfield during the team’s extended unbeaten run. Some fans have also referred to themselves humorously as “Hasbo-lievers.”^[25][26]

Hasbo is active as a social entrepreneur and advocate for sports inclusion.

Off the field, Hasbo served as president of Harvard's Women in Entrepreneurship Club.^[27]

She serves on the board of Spillerforeningen, the representative body for professional footballers in Denmark.^[28]

In November 2025, Hasbo was selected as the 2025 recipient of the Skau Reipurth Next Generation Scholarship, an annual award granted to a single individual in recognition of exceptional promise and societal impact in their field.^[29]

Hasbo serves on the board of directors at Sport Creates Memories, a Denmark-based nonprofit that uses grassroots football development to support underserved children and communities across Africa. She is also a co-founder of a football academy in Ghana aimed at expanding access to sport and education for children from low-income backgrounds.^[30][31]

In interviews, Hasbo has described dedicating much of her time away from training to volunteer work with Sport Creates Memories, usually spending several hours per day during the season on organizational and program-related efforts. During winter breaks in college and the off-season as a professional, she has traveled to Ghana to support local initiatives, typically volunteering for multiple weeks at a time and working 12 to 15 hours per day to help develop grassroots football programs and promote social inclusion among local youth.^[32]

Reflecting on her involvement, Hasbo has said that football should serve “as a doorway to dreams, confidence, and opportunity,” rather than a privilege, and that her work with Sport Creates Memories reflects her belief in sport as a tool for both personal and community development.^[33]

She represents and has represented global brands including Pepsi, Nike, and G-Form. Hasbo serves as Pepsi’s global female football ambassador, alongside international stars such as Alexia Putellas, Caroline Graham Hansen, Farah Jefry, and Lauren James.^[34]

Ahead of the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025, Pepsi released a special-edition can in Denmark featuring Hasbo’s image, as part of its European women’s football campaign. She was also featured alongside David Beckham in a Pepsi advertisement in Denmark in 2025.^[35]

Brøndby IF

• A-Liga: Winner of the championship 2019
• Danish Women's Cup runners-up: 2019

Harvard Crimson

• Ivy League women's soccer tournament: 2023

Gotham FC

• NWSL Championship: 2025^[36]