Wendie Renard

Wendie Thérèse Renard (born 20 July 1990) is a French professional footballer who plays as a centre-back and captains both Division 1 club Lyon and the France national team.

Renard is one of the most decorated players in modern women's club football. She has won a record 14 French league titles and eight European Cups. In 2019, the New York Times described her as an "institution" at Lyon, the most successful club in European women's football.

Early life
Renard was born in Martinique, a French island in the Lesser Antilles. She is the youngest of four daughters. Her father died of lung cancer when she was eight years old. Prior to moving to the mainland, Renard played for Essor-Préchotain on her home island.

When she was 15, Renard flew to mainland France for a trial at Clairefontaine but was not accepted into the national training program. She subsequently took the train to Lyon and, after a more successful trial, landed a spot with Lyon. She left Martinique to permanently live in Lyon at the age of sixteen.

Club career
Renard made her debut at L'Essor Préchotin at the age of seven and then played for Rapid Club Le Lorrain. In 2006, Farid Benstiti, then coach of Olympique Lyon, brought Wendie Renard into the club's youth center and used the 16-year-old in two league games in the top league at the end of the same season. Three months later she was called up to the youth national team for the first time.

Renard joined Lyon in 2006 and, since the 2007–08 season, has been a regular within the starting eleven winning fourteen consecutive league titles from 2006 to 2020, as well numerous Challenge de France trophies. In 2010, Renard featured in the final match of the UEFA Women's Champions League and, in the 2010–11 edition, helped Lyon win the competition. She scored the opening goal in a 2–0 win over Turbine Potsdam in the final.

On 26 August 2020, she scored the winning goal in a 1–0 win against Paris Saint-Germain in the 2019–20 UEFA Women's Champions League semi-finals, to eventually win the competition for the seventh time in her career.

International career
Renard is a former youth international having played at under-19 and under-20 level. She made her debut for the France national team at the 2011 Cyprus Cup in a match against Switzerland. Renard has since represented France in two FIFA World Cups and two Olympics, and was the team captain from September 2013. She was stripped of the captaincy after the Euro 2017 tournament and was ultimately succeeded by Amandine Henry. Renard regained the captaincy in September 2021.

At the 2019 World Cup on home soil, Renard scored three goals in the group stage: a brace against South Korea and a penalty against Nigeria. She also scored an own goal against Norway. Renard scored a consolation goal in France's 2–1 quarter-final defeat to the United States. The 6 foot 2 inch-tall defender was the tallest player at that edition of the World Cup.

On 24 February 2023, Renard announced she would not play at the World Cup later that year to "preserve her mental health". According to a report in French multimedia outlet RMC Sport, Renard had decided not play for the national team as long as then-coach Corinne Diacre was in charge. After Diacre was sacked in early March 2023, Renard said she was open to a return to the team if selected. When Herve Renard (no relation) succeeded Diacre as France's head coach at the end of March, he immediately invited Renard to rejoin the national squad.

Renard accepted the invitation to resume playing for France and serving as captain. In France's second match of the 2023 FIFA World Cup group stage, she scored the winning goal against Brazil. In the quarterfinals of the World Cup tournament, France saw a goal called back after Renard was charged with a jersey-pulling foul on an Australian player, and ultimately lost to Australia in a penalty kick shoot-out.

Style of play
Renard is physically strong, has good pace and technique, and she is capable of scoring powerful headers.

International



 * Scores and results list France's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Renard goal.

Honours


Lyon
 * Division 1 Féminine: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2021–22, 2022-23
 * Coupe de France: 2007–08, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2022–23
 * UEFA Women's Champions League: 2010–11, 2011–12, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2021–22
 * Trophée des Championnes: 2019, 2022, 2023

France
 * Cyprus Cup: 2012, 2014
 * SheBelieves Cup: 2017

Individual
 * UEFA Women's Championship All-Star Team: 2013
 * FIFA Women's World Cup All Star Team: 2015
 * FIFA Women's World Cup Dream Team: 2015
 * FIFPro: FIFA FIFPro World XI 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
 * IFFHS Women's World Team: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
 * UEFA Champions League Defender of the Season: 2019–20
 * IFFHS World's Woman Team of the Decade 2011–2020
 * IFFHS UEFA Woman Team of the Decade 2011–2020

Orders
 * Knight of the National Order of Merit: 2022