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Jackie Groenen
Jackie Groenen BL FCB gg. 1. FFC Frankfurt Muenchen-1 (cropped).jpg
Groenen with 1. FFC Frankfurt in 2016
Personal information
Full name Jackie Noëlle Groenen
Date of birth (1994-12-17) 17 December 1994 (age 30)
Place of birth Poppel, Belgium
Height 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
Paris Saint-Germain
Number 14
Youth career
GSBW
VV Riel
Wilhelmina Boys
SV Rood-Wit Veldhoven
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011 SGS Essen 6 (0)
2011–2014 FCR 2001 Duisburg 32 (4)
2014–2015 Chelsea 20 (2)
2015–2019 1. FFC Frankfurt 79 (13)
2019–2022 Manchester United 50 (0)
2022– Paris Saint-Germain 50 (4)
International career
2009 Netherlands U15 3 (0)
2009–2010 Netherlands U17 5 (0)
2012 Netherlands U19 1 (0)
2016– Netherlands 128 (10)
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 23 April 2025
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 13 July 2025

Jackie Groenen, born on December 17, 1994, is a talented Dutch football player. She plays as a midfielder for Première Ligue club Paris Saint-Germain in France. Jackie is also a key player for the Netherlands national team. Before becoming a football star, Jackie was also a very good judoka (a person who practices judo).

She has played for several big clubs, including SGS Essen, FCR 2001 Duisburg, and FFC Frankfurt in Germany. She also played for Chelsea and Manchester United in England. Jackie was born in the Netherlands but grew up in Poppel, just over the Belgian border. In 2014, FIFA said she could not play for Belgium because she did not have a Belgian passport when she played for the Netherlands youth teams.

Jackie's Football Journey

Starting Out in Germany

Jackie Groenen and her sister, Merel, started playing football at a club called Goirlese Sportvereniging Blauw-Wit. They then played for VV Riel and Wilhelmina Boys before joining SV Rood-Wit Veldhoven. The sisters continued their football careers in Germany's top league, the Frauen-Bundesliga, playing for SGS Essen. Jackie played her first game for SGS Essen in the DFB-Pokal Cup on January 30, 2011.

Playing for FCR 2001 Duisburg

Jackie Groenen 2012 2
Groenen during her time at FCR 2001 Duisburg.

From 2011, Jackie played for FCR 2001 Duisburg. She stayed there until the club faced financial problems at the end of 2013. On May 7, 2011, Jackie made her debut for the club in a Bundesliga Cup match against USV Jena. She even scored a goal in their 4–1 win! Her first league game was on August 28, 2011, when they won 2–0 against Hamburger SV.

Moving to Chelsea

In February 2014, Jackie signed with Chelsea in England. She played her first FA WSL game on April 17, winning 2–0 against Bristol City. On July 13, Jackie scored her first goals for Chelsea, netting two in a huge 13–0 win against London Bees in the FA WSL Continental Cup.

Returning to Germany with FFC Frankfurt

2015-09-13 1.FFC Frankfurt vs 1.FFC Turbine Potsdam Jackie Groenen 001
Groenen playing for FFC Frankfurt in 2015.

Jackie went back to Germany and joined FFC Frankfurt in June 2015. She made her debut for the club on September 5, in a 1–0 victory against 1899 Hoffenheim.

Joining Manchester United

On May 22, 2019, it was announced that Jackie Groenen had signed with Manchester United for the 2019–20 season. She was the very first international player to join the team, which had only been formed a year earlier with all British players. Jackie played her first game for Manchester United on September 7, 2019, in the first-ever Manchester derby against Manchester City.

Playing for Paris Saint-Germain

On September 15, 2022, the French club Paris Saint-Germain announced that Jackie had signed a three-year contract with them. She is set to stay with the club until June 2025.

International Football Success

Jackie wanted to play for Belgium, but FIFA said no. This was because she did not have a Belgian passport when she played for the Netherlands youth teams. Later, she decided she wanted to play for the Netherlands again.

In January 2016, Jackie was called up to the Netherlands senior team. She played in two friendly matches against Denmark on January 22, 2016, earning her first senior appearances.

Jackie was a key part of the Dutch team that won the UEFA Women's Euro 2017. She played in every match and was even named in the 2017 UEFA Team of the Tournament. After this big win, the whole team was honored by the Prime Minister of the Netherlands and made Knights of the Order of Orange-Nassau.

In February 2018, Jackie was part of the Netherlands team that won the 2018 Algarve Cup. The final match was canceled due to bad weather, so the trophy was shared between the Netherlands and Sweden.

In April 2019, Jackie was chosen to play in her first FIFA Women's World Cup. She started every game in the tournament. She scored the only goal in extra-time during the 1–0 semi-final win against Sweden. This goal helped her team reach their first-ever World Cup final! The Netherlands then played against the United States in the final but lost.

On May 31, 2023, Jackie was named in the Netherlands team for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Jackie's Judo Journey

Jackie Groenen was also a very successful judo athlete. She won many championships! In 2007, 2008, and 2009, she was the Netherlands champion for the under-15 age group in the −32 kg weight class. In 2010, she was the runner-up in the −44 kg weight class.

On March 6, 2010, she won a gold medal in the under-17 age group in Tilburg, Netherlands. She also won a bronze medal at the European championships in June 2010 in Teplice, in the under-17 age group, −40 kg weight class. In February 2011, Jackie won the Netherlands junior (under-20 age group) championships in the −44 kg weight class.

Jackie's judo career ended when she was 17. Her football club, FCR 2001 Duisburg, was not happy when she broke her hip in a judo accident just before a football match. Jackie later said that she preferred football and would have stopped judo anyway.

About Jackie's Life

Jackiegroenenwestham
Groenen before a Manchester United match against West Ham United in 2019

While playing for Chelsea in London, Jackie was also studying for a law degree at Tilburg University. Her club would even fly her to the Netherlands for her exams! Her older sister, Merel, also played women's football for the Belgian team Lierse SK.

Honours and Awards

Jackie Groenen has won many awards and titles throughout her career:

Paris Saint-Germain

  • Coupe de France: 2023–24

Netherlands

Individual Awards

Special Recognition

  • Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau: 2017 (This is a special honor given in the Netherlands)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Jackie Groenen para niños

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