Lieke Martens

Lieke Martens
Martens with Barcelona in 2021
Personal information
Full name Lieke Elisabeth Petronella Martens-van Leer
Birth name Lieke Elisabeth Petronella Martens
Date of birth (1992-12-16) 16 December 1992 (age 31)
Place of birth Bergen, Netherlands
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Position(s) Winger, midfielder
Team information
Current team
Paris Saint-Germain
Number 11
Youth career
1997–2005 RKVV Montagnards
2005–2008 Olympia '18
2008–2009 Hogeschool van Amsterdam
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2010 Heerenveen 18 (2)
2010–2011 VVV-Venlo 20 (9)
2011–2012 Standard Liège 25 (17)
2012–2014 FCR 2001 Duisburg 30 (7)
2014–2015 Kopparbergs/Göteborg 37 (12)
2015–2017 Rosengård 29 (20)
2017–2022 Barcelona 110 (54)
2022– Paris Saint-Germain 30 (6)
International career
2006–2007 Netherlands U15 2 (0)
2008 Netherlands U16 4 (1)
2007–2009 Netherlands U17 17 (7)
2009–2011 Netherlands U19 28 (18)
2011–2024 Netherlands 160 (62)
Medal record
Women's football
Representing the  Netherlands
FIFA Women's World Cup
Runner-up 2019 France
UEFA Women's Championship
Winner 2017 Netherlands
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 24 April 2024

Lieke Elisabeth Petronella Martens-van Leer (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈlikə ʔeːˈlisaːbɛt peːtroːˈnɛlaː ˈmɑrtəns], née Martens; born 16 December 1992) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a winger or midfielder for Première Ligue club Paris Saint-Germain.

Martens began her professional career playing for Dutch, German and Belgian clubs relatively close to her hometown of Bergen, Limburg. In 2015, Martens broke out on the international stage when she scored the Netherlands’ first ever goal in a Women's World Cup against New Zealand. In 2016, Martens’ performances at Swedish club FC Rosengård attracted the attention of FC Barcelona, who signed her the following year. Weeks after her signing at FC Barcelona was made official, Martens participated in the Netherlands' 2017 UEFA Women's Euro campaign. She was the Netherlands' standout player at that year's Euro, where the Dutch won their first ever major international title with the women's national team. She was chosen as Player of the Tournament, and later in 2017, she was voted as The Best FIFA Women's Player as well as the UEFA Women's Player of the Year.

In 2018, Forbes ranked Martens Number 22 in their "Most Powerful Women in International Sports" list.[2] In the 2018–19 season, Martens helped FC Barcelona to their first ever UEFA Women's Champions League final, where she assisted their only goal in a 4–1 defeat to Olympique Lyonnais. Months later, she played in the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, where she fought through a toe injury for most of the tournament. The Dutch reached the final and were defeated by the United States.

In 2021, Martens was an essential part of FC Barcelona Femení completing their first continental treble, winning the UEFA Women's Champions League, the Primera Division, and the Copa de la Reina all in the same season.

  1. ^ "List of Players – Netherlands" (PDF). FIFA. 30 May 2015. p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 May 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  2. ^ Alana Glass (27 March 2018). "The Most Powerful Women In International Sports 2018". Forbes.