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 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 16 December 1992 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Bergen, Netherlands | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.70 m | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Winger, midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | 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) | |||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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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Honours
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Lieke Martens is a famous Dutch professional footballer. She was born on December 16, 1992. She plays as a winger or midfielder for Paris Saint-Germain. She also played for the Dutch national team until 2024.
Lieke started her career playing for clubs in the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium. In 2015, she made history by scoring the Netherlands' first-ever goal in a Women's World Cup. In 2017, she helped the Dutch team win their first major international title, the 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. She helped them win the UEFA Women's Champions League, the Spanish league (Primera Division), and the Spanish cup (Copa de la Reina) all in one season. This amazing achievement is called a "treble."
Early Life and First Steps in Football
Lieke Martens was born in a town called Bergen in the Netherlands. She loved playing football in her garden when she was a little kid.
She started playing for a local club, RKVV Montagnards, when she was five years old. When she was thirteen, a national team coach suggested she play for Olympia '18. There, she played with boys' teams, which helped her get even better. Before joining her first professional club, she also spent some time at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam.
Club Career Highlights
Lieke Martens joined her first professional team, SC Heerenveen, when she was just sixteen. She scored two goals in 18 games. After that, she played for VVV-Venlo, where she scored the club's first-ever goal in the Dutch league.
Playing in Belgium and Germany
In 2011, Lieke moved to Belgium to play for Standard Liège. She quickly won her first big title, the BeNe Super Cup, scoring two goals in her first game. She also won the Belgian league title with them. She even scored her first goal in the UEFA Women's Champions League while playing for Standard Liège.
After six months in Belgium, she moved to Germany to play for FCR 2001 Duisburg. The club was close to her hometown, which was important to her.
Time in Sweden: Göteborg and Rosengård
Lieke then moved to Sweden in 2014 to play for Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC. Her coach praised her great technique and how well she played with her teammates.
In 2015, she joined Rosengård, one of Sweden's top teams. With Rosengård, she won the Swedish Cup and the Swedish Supercup. She also helped them finish second in the league. In 2017, she left Rosengård as one of the top scorers in the league.
Success at FC Barcelona
In July 2017, Lieke Martens signed a three-year contract with FC Barcelona, a big club in Spain. She quickly became a key player, scoring goals and setting up plays for her teammates. Barcelona finished second in the league in her first season.
Winning the Spanish Cup
In 2018, Lieke helped Barcelona win the Copa de la Reina, which is the Spanish Cup. This was her first major trophy with the club. She played the entire final match, which went into extra time, and Barcelona won in the very last minutes.
Reaching the Champions League Final
In 2019, Lieke helped Barcelona reach the UEFA Women's Champions League final for the first time in the club's history. They played against Lyon, a very strong team, and lost 4-1. Lieke assisted Barcelona's only goal in that final. Even though they lost, it was a huge step for the team.
Winning the Treble
The 2019-2020 season was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, but Barcelona was awarded the league title. Lieke also helped Barcelona win the first-ever Supercopa Femenina (Spanish Supercup) in 2020, where she scored and assisted goals.
In the 2020-2021 season, Lieke was amazing. She scored two goals in the Champions League semi-finals against PSG, sending Barcelona to the final. In the Champions League final, she assisted a goal, helping Barcelona win 4-0. This was a huge win for the club!
That same season, Barcelona also won the Spanish league and the Spanish Cup. This meant they achieved the "continental treble," winning all three major competitions in one season. Lieke was a big part of this historic success, scoring 20 goals and giving 16 assists that season.
Moving to Paris Saint-Germain
In June 2022, Lieke Martens signed a three-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain in France. She continues to play at a high level with her new team.
International Career with the Netherlands
Lieke Martens played for the Netherlands at different youth levels, including U-15, U-16, U-17, and U-19 teams. She was the top scorer at the 2010 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship.
Senior Team Debut and First World Cup
She made her debut for the senior national team in 2011. She became a regular player around 2012.
In 2014, Lieke helped the Netherlands qualify for their first-ever Women's World Cup. She scored important goals in the qualification playoffs. At the World Cup in 2015, she scored the Netherlands' first-ever World Cup goal against New Zealand. This goal was even voted the fifth-best goal of the tournament!
Winning the UEFA Women's Euro 2017
In 2017, Lieke played a huge role in the UEFA Women's Euro, which was hosted in the Netherlands. She was a standout player, scoring crucial goals and assisting her teammates. She scored the winning goal against Belgium in the group stage. In the quarterfinals, she scored a free-kick goal against Sweden.
In the final against Denmark, Lieke scored a goal that put the Netherlands ahead 2-1. The Dutch team went on to win the match 4-2, becoming champions of Europe for the first time! Lieke was named the Player of the Tournament for her amazing performances, scoring 3 goals and giving 2 assists. After this victory, the entire team was honored and made "Knights of the Order of Orange-Nassau" by the Prime Minister.
Reaching the 2019 Women's World Cup Final
Lieke helped the Netherlands qualify for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France. Even though she had a toe injury for most of the tournament, she kept playing. She scored both goals in a 2-1 win against Japan in the Round of 16.
The Dutch team made it all the way to their first-ever Women's World Cup final, where they faced the United States. Despite her injury, Lieke started the final. The Netherlands lost 2-0, but reaching the final was a huge achievement for the team.
Playing in the Olympics
In 2021, Lieke was part of the Netherlands team for their first-ever Olympics tournament. She scored her 50th goal for the national team against Zambia in a game that ended 10-3, which was the highest-scoring women's football match in Olympics history. She scored two more goals against China. The Netherlands reached the quarterfinals but were defeated by the United States in a penalty shootout.
Retirement from International Football
Lieke Martens played her last game for the Netherlands national team on June 4, 2024.
How Lieke Martens Plays
Lieke Martens usually plays as a winger, which means she plays on the sides of the field. She can play on both the right and left sides, but she prefers the left wing. Even though she prefers the left, she is right-footed and scores most of her goals with her right foot. She is also known for her great dribbling skills, often cutting inside towards the goal.
Coaches have always seen Lieke as a top attacking player. They have praised her ability to create chances and keep the ball. Some people even compare her to the famous Dutch football legend Johan Cruyff because of her playing style and skills.
Life Outside Football
Lieke Martens grew up supporting the famous Dutch football club AFC Ajax.
She also studied and earned a Master's degree in football business from the Johan Cruyff Institute.
In her personal life, Lieke is married to professional goalkeeper Benjamin van Leer. They got married in Spain in 2023 and announced in 2024 that they are expecting their first child.
Sponsorships and Recognition
Lieke Martens is a very popular athlete. She is sponsored by big brands like Nike and PepsiCo. She has even appeared in commercials with famous footballers like Lionel Messi and Paul Pogba. Nike even released special football boots inspired by her after her success at the 2017 Euro tournament. She is also the face of a Dutch jewelry brand.
Honours and Awards
Lieke Martens has won many titles and awards throughout her career.
Standard Liège
- Belgian Women's Super League: 2011–12
- BeNe Super Cup: 2011
Rosengård
- Svenska Cupen: 2015–16
- Svenska Supercupen: 2016
Barcelona
- Primera División (Spanish League): 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22
- UEFA Women's Champions League: 2020–21
- Copa de la Reina (Spanish Cup): 2018, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22
- Supercopa de España Femenina (Spanish Supercup): 2019–20, 2021–22
- Copa Catalunya: 2017, 2018, 2019
Paris Saint-Germain
- Coupe de France: 2023–24
Netherlands National Team
- UEFA Women's Championship: 2017
- Algarve Cup: 2018
- FIFA Women's World Cup runners-up: 2019
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 Champions League Squad of the Season: 2017–18, 2020–21
- Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau: 2017 (an honor from the Dutch government)
Images for kids
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Martens with Barcelona in 2021
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Martens with Duisburg in 2012
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Martens lining up for the 2019 UEFA Women's Champions League Final with Barcelona.
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Martens playing in the UEFA Women's Euro 2017
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Lieke Martens training with the Netherlands on 6 November 2018.
See also
In Spanish: Lieke Martens para niños
