Lieke Martens facts for kids
Martens with Barcelona in 2021
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Lieke Elisabeth Petronella Martens-van Leer | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth name | Lieke Elisabeth Petronella Martens | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 16 December 1992 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Bergen, Netherlands | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Winger, midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 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) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2025 | 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) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 1 July 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Lieke Martens (born 16 December 1992) is a famous Dutch professional footballer. She plays as a winger or midfielder.
Lieke started her career playing for clubs in the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium. In 2015, she became well-known when she scored the first ever goal for the Dutch national team in a Women's World Cup. This was against New Zealand.
In 2017, Lieke joined FC Barcelona. Soon after, she helped the Netherlands win their first major international title at the 2017 UEFA Women's Euro. She was named the best player of that tournament. Later in 2017, she won two big awards: The Best FIFA Women's Player and UEFA Women's Player of the Year.
In 2021, Lieke was a key player for FC Barcelona. They achieved a historic "treble" by winning the UEFA Women's Champions League, the Primera Division, and the Copa de la Reina all in one season.
Contents
About Lieke Martens
Early Life and First Steps
Lieke Elisabeth Petronella Martens was born on 16 December 1992. Her hometown is Bergen in the Limburg province of the Netherlands. She remembers playing football in her garden when she was a little kid.
Lieke started playing football at age five for a local club called RKVV Montagnards. When she was thirteen, she moved to the Olympia '18 club. She even played with boys' teams there. Before joining a professional club, she studied at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam from 2008 to 2009.
Club Adventures
Starting in the Netherlands
At sixteen, Lieke joined SC Heerenveen in the Vrouwen Eredivisie. She scored two goals in 18 games. After that, she played for the new VVV-Venlo women's team. She scored their first ever goal in the league, which was a penalty against her old club, Heerenveen. She scored nine goals in 20 matches for VVV-Venlo.
Moving to Belgium and Germany
In 2011, Lieke moved to Standard Liège in Belgium. In her very first game, she scored two goals and helped her team win the BeNe Super Cup. She also won the Belgian league title with them in 2011–12. Lieke also played in the 2011–12 UEFA Women's Champions League for Standard. She scored 17 goals in just six months with the club.
After Belgium, she moved to Germany to play for FCR 2001 Duisburg in the Bundesliga. Her transfer was delayed for a bit due to paperwork.
Playing in Sweden
Lieke then moved to Sweden in 2014 to play for Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC in the Damallsvenskan league. Her coach praised her great technique.
In November 2015, Lieke joined Rosengård, who were the champions of the Damallsvenskan. She played against her future club, FC Barcelona, in the 2016–17 UEFA Women's Champions League quarterfinals. Rosengård lost that match. Lieke helped Rosengård win the Swedish Cup in 2016, scoring in the final. She also won the Swedish Super Cup in 2016.
Joining FC Barcelona
In July 2017, Lieke Martens signed a three-year contract with FC Barcelona. She made her first appearance as a substitute in a big 9–0 win. She scored her first goal for Barcelona in a 10–0 victory. Barcelona finished second in the league that season.
Lieke helped Barcelona win the 2018 Copa de la Reina, which was her first major title with the club. She also made it into the UWCL Team of the Season that year.
Injuries and Big Finals
In the 2018–19 season, Lieke had some injuries. However, she helped Barcelona reach their first ever UEFA Women's Champions League final. They lost 4–1 to Lyon, but Lieke assisted Barcelona's only goal. Even though other clubs were interested, she signed a new contract with Barcelona until 2022.
Lieke missed the start of the 2019–20 season because of a toe injury from the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. She returned to play in the first ever Supercopa Femenina in 2020. Barcelona won the final 10–1. She also won her first league title with Barcelona in 2019–20, as the season was stopped early due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Barcelona also won the Copa de la Reina that season.
Historic Treble with Barcelona
In the 2020–21 season, Lieke played in the first ever "Women's Clásico" match against Real Madrid. She scored Barcelona's third goal in a 4–0 win. She also played in a historic match at the Camp Nou stadium, where she scored a goal. Barcelona won the league that season by winning 26 games in a row.
Lieke was amazing in the 2020–21 UEFA Women's Champions League. She scored two goals in the semifinal against PSG, sending Barcelona to their second ever final. In the final on 16 May 2021, she assisted Barcelona's fourth goal. Barcelona won the final and Lieke was part of the UWCL Squad of the Season.
Barcelona completed a historic "treble" by winning the Champions League, the league, and the Copa de la Reina all in one season. Lieke had three assists in the Copa de la Reina final. She finished the season with 20 goals and 16 assists.
Moving to Paris Saint-Germain
On 16 June 2022, Lieke Martens signed a three-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain. She played there until 2025.
Playing for Her Country
Youth Teams and Early Senior Career
Lieke Martens played for the Netherlands at different youth levels, including U-15, U-16, U-17, and U-19. In 2010, she was the top scorer at the 2010 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship.
In August 2011, she played her first game for the senior national team against China. She became a regular player around 2012. In 2013, she played in the UEFA Women's Euro 2013 in Sweden.
First World Cup Goal
In 2014, Lieke helped the Netherlands qualify for their first ever Women's World Cup. She scored important goals in the playoff matches.
In the Netherlands' first World Cup game ever, Lieke scored their first World Cup goal against New Zealand. It was a long-range shot that won the game. The goal was later voted the fifth-best of the tournament. The Dutch team made it to the Round of 16 but lost to Japan.
Euro 2017 Triumph
In 2017, Lieke played in the UEFA Women's Euro 2017 hosted in the Netherlands. She was a star player. She assisted the winning goal against Norway and scored the winning goal against Belgium. The Netherlands won all their group games.
In the quarterfinals, she scored against Sweden. In the semifinals against England, she helped create goals. The Netherlands reached their first ever Euro final. In the final against Denmark, Lieke scored the third goal. The Netherlands won 4–2, and Lieke was named the Player of the Tournament. She scored 3 goals and gave 2 assists. After this win, the whole team was honored by the Prime Minister and made Knights of the Order of Orange-Nassau.
World Cup Final and Olympics
The Dutch team qualified for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France. Lieke played despite a toe injury. She scored both goals in a 2–1 win against Japan in the Round of 16. Even with her injury, she played in the quarterfinal and semifinal matches. The Netherlands reached their first ever Women's World Cup final against the United States. Lieke started the final, but the Dutch lost 0–2.
On 16 June 2021, Lieke was chosen for the Netherlands' first ever Olympics football team. In the first game, she scored her 50th national team goal against Zambia in a huge 10–3 win. She scored two more goals against China. The Dutch reached the quarterfinals but lost to the United States in a penalty shootout.
Lieke was part of the Netherlands' team for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. She played her last international match on 4 June 2024, which was a 1–1 draw against Finland.
How Lieke Plays
Lieke Martens usually plays as a winger. She can play on either side, but she likes the left wing best, even though she is right-footed. She often cuts inside when she dribbles and scores goals mostly with her right foot.
People have compared Lieke Martens to the famous Dutch football legend Johan Cruyff. This is because of how they play, their skills, and their leadership.
Life Outside Football
Personal Life
Lieke Martens grew up supporting the football club AFC Ajax.
She has a Masters degree in football business from the Johan Cruyff Institute.
Since 2018, she has been in a relationship with professional goalkeeper Benjamin van Leer. They got engaged in November 2021 and married in Málaga, Spain, on 13 June 2023. On 19 August 2024, Lieke announced that they were expecting their first child.
Sponsorships
Lieke Martens is considered one of the most popular athletes in the world for sponsorships.
She is sponsored by Nike. After her success at the 2017 Euro, Nike released special football boots named "Lieke" Mercurial Superfly V. In 2019, she was in Nike's "Dream Further" commercial for the 2019 Women's World Cup.
Lieke is also an ambassador for PepsiCo and has appeared in commercials for their brand, Lay's, with famous footballers like Lionel Messi and Paul Pogba. She is also the face of a Dutch jewelry brand called Zinzi.
Honours and Awards
Team Honours
- Standard Liège
- Belgian Women's Super League: 2011–12
- BeNe Super Cup: 2011
- Rosengård
- Swedish Cup: 2015–16
- Swedish Super Cup: 2016
- Barcelona
- Spanish League: 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22
- UEFA Women's Champions League: 2020–21 (and runner-up in 2018–19, 2021–22)
- Queen's Cup: 2018, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22
- Spanish Super Cup: 2019–20, 2021–22
- Catalunya Cup: 2017, 2018, 2019
- Paris Saint-Germain
- French Cup: 2023–24
- Netherlands
- UEFA Women's Championship: 2017
- Algarve Cup: 2018
- FIFA Women's World Cup runner-up: 2019
- Tournoi de France: runner-up 2020
Individual Awards
- UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship Top scorer: 2010
- UEFA Women's Player of the Year Award: 2017
- The Best FIFA Women's Player: 2017
- FIFPro World XI: 2017
- UEFA Women's Championship Player of the Tournament: 2017
- UEFA Women's Championship Team of the Tournament: 2017
- UEFA Women's Championship Bronze Boot: 2017
- The Offside Rule Best Female Footballer In The World: 2017
- IFFHS Award for Best Female Playmaker: 2017
- Spanish League Goal of the Season: 2017–18
- IFFHS UEFA Woman Team of the Decade: 2011–2020
- UEFA Women's Champions League Squad of the Season: 2017–18, 2020–21
- Tuttosport Golden Player Woman: 2021
- IFFHS Women's World Team: 2017, 2021
- IFFHS Women's UEFA Team: 2021
Special Recognition
- Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau: 2017
In 2017, Lieke Martens won many individual awards. She was chosen as The Best FIFA Women's Player and the UEFA Player of the Year. She also won the IFFHS award for best female playmaker and was part of the IFFHS Women's World Team of the Year.
In 2017, Lieke was the first player from FC Barcelona and the first Dutch player to be chosen for the FIFPro Women's World XI.
In 2018, Forbes magazine named her the 22nd Most Powerful Woman in International Sports. She was also nominated for the Women's Ballon d'Or in 2018 and 2019.
At the end of 2020, Lieke was selected for the IFFHS UEFA Women's Team of the Decade for 2011–2020.
Images for kids
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Lieke Martens with Barcelona before the 2019 UEFA Women's Champions League Final.
See also
In Spanish: Lieke Martens para niños
