1. Overview
Élodie Ginette Thomis (Élodie Ginette Thomiseh-LAW-dee zhee-NET toh-MEESFrench) is a French former football player who primarily played as a winger or striker. Born on August 13, 1986, in Colombes, France, she was known for her exceptional pace, which was often compared to that of French men's international footballers such as Thierry Henry and Sidney Govou. Thomis had a distinguished career playing for prominent French clubs like Montpellier and Olympique Lyonnais, where she achieved significant success, including multiple Division 1 Féminine titles, Coupe de France Féminine victories, and UEFA Women's Champions League triumphs. She also represented the French national team for over a decade, earning 141 caps and 32 goals before her retirement from professional football in 2018.
2. Early life and youth career
Élodie Thomis's journey into professional football began with her early life in Colombes and her development through local clubs and a prestigious national academy.
2.1. Childhood and athletic background
Born in the commune of Colombes, a northwestern suburb of Paris, France, Élodie Thomis grew up with parents of Martiniquais heritage. Her early athletic endeavors were not in football but in track and field. She initially trained as a sprinter and a long-distance runner, which likely contributed to her later renowned pace on the football field.
2.2. Early football training
Thomis began playing football at the age of 13 in 1999, after attending a trial for women footballers in Épinay-sur-Seine. Following a successful period with a local club, she joined Football Club Feminin de Colombes in her hometown in 2001. In 2002, her talent led to her selection for the CNFE Clairefontaine, the women's section of the renowned Clairefontaine academy, a national football center known for developing top French talent. She spent three years training at Clairefontaine, alongside future teammates such as Louisa Necib and future international teammates like Caroline Pizzala, Élise Bussaglia, and Laure Lepailleur.
3. Club career
Élodie Thomis's club career was marked by periods of significant development and immense success with some of France's top women's football teams.
3.1. CNFE Clairefontaine
From 2002 to 2005, Thomis trained at the CNFE Clairefontaine academy. While primarily a training facility, the academy also featured a team that competed in the Division 1 Féminine. During her three seasons at the academy, Thomis made over 50 appearances and scored 32 goals, showcasing her early goal-scoring abilities and preparing her for professional football.
3.2. Montpellier
After departing Clairefontaine in 2005, Thomis joined Division 1 Féminine club Montpellier. Her former Clairefontaine teammate, Louisa Necib, joined Montpellier the following year. In her debut season with Montpellier (2005-06), Thomis played in 20 league matches and scored three goals as the club finished as league runner-up to Juvisy. She also made her European debut in the 2005-06 UEFA Women's Cup. In the first leg of the quarter-final tie against Danish club Brøndby IF, Thomis scored two goals, helping Montpellier advance to the semi-finals, where they were eventually eliminated by the tournament's eventual champions, 1. FFC Frankfurt. In the 2006-07 season, Thomis's goal production significantly increased, as she scored 15 goals in 22 league matches. During her time at Montpellier, she contributed to the club winning the Challenge de France, the women's domestic cup in France, twice in 2006 and 2007.
3.3. Lyon
In June 2007, following her successful spell at Montpellier, Thomis, along with Louisa Necib, transferred to rival Division 1 Féminine club Olympique Lyonnais. This move marked the beginning of a long and highly successful period in her career, lasting until her retirement in 2018.
In her debut season with Lyon (2007-08), Thomis made 17 league appearances and scored seven goals, helping the club secure a league and cup double. The 2008-09 season saw Thomis feature in 17 matches across all competitions, scoring 14 goals, as Lyon won the league for the third consecutive season and reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Women's Cup for the second consecutive time.
In the subsequent two seasons (2009-10 and 2010-11), Thomis faced injury setbacks, limiting her to 30 domestic appearances, though she still managed to score 17 goals during this period. In the re-branded UEFA Women's Champions League, she made eight appearances and scored three goals in the 2009-10 edition, where Lyon reached the final but were defeated by German club Turbine Potsdam. However, in the 2010-11 edition of the Champions League, Thomis was a key part of the Lyon team that avenged their previous defeat by beating Turbine Potsdam 2-0 in the final, securing her first European club title.
Throughout her tenure at Lyon, Thomis amassed an impressive collection of titles. She contributed to Lyon winning the Division 1 Féminine a remarkable nine times (2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16). She also helped the club claim the Coupe de France Féminine six times (2007-08, 2011-12, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016). Furthermore, she was part of the Lyon squads that won the UEFA Women's Champions League five times (2010-11, 2011-12, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18).
4. International career
Élodie Thomis represented France at various youth levels before becoming a long-serving and prominent member of the senior national team.
4.1. Youth national teams
Thomis began her international career with the French youth national teams. She made her debut for the French U-20 national team. Notably, she was part of the squad that won the 2003 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship held in Germany. She also contributed to France's runner-up finish in the 2005 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship in Hungary and participated in the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup held in Russia.
4.2. Senior national team
Thomis made her debut for les Bleues, the French senior women's national team, on June 6, 2005, in a group stage match against Italy at UEFA Women's Euro 2005.
Her international career saw her participate in several major tournaments:
- UEFA European Women's Championship: She competed in four editions of the tournament: 2005, 2009, 2013, and 2017.
- FIFA Women's World Cup: Thomis represented France in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada. In 2011, she helped the team reach the semi-finals. In 2015, France advanced to the quarter-finals, where they were eliminated by Germany after a penalty shootout. She scored a total of 5 goals across her World Cup and Olympic appearances.
- Olympic Games: She participated in the 2012 London Summer Olympics and the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics. In both tournaments, France reached the semi-finals in 2012 and the quarter-finals in 2016.
Thomis scored a total of 32 goals in her international career. She officially retired from the national team in 2017, having earned 141 caps for France. She also won the Cyprus Cup twice with the national team, in 2012 and 2014, and the SheBelieves Cup in 2017.
5. Playing style and characteristics
Élodie Thomis was primarily deployed as a winger or striker. Her most defining characteristic as a player was her exceptional pace. This attribute allowed her to frequently outrun defenders, create scoring opportunities, and make decisive runs into the box. Her speed was so notable that it was often compared to that of male French international players known for their acceleration, such as Thierry Henry and Sidney Govou. This pace, combined with her technical skills, made her a significant offensive threat throughout her career.
6. Retirement
Élodie Thomis concluded her professional football career after the 2017-18 season. Her retirement marked the end of a highly successful career spanning over a decade, primarily with Olympique Lyonnais, where she achieved numerous domestic and European titles.
7. Career statistics
This section provides detailed tables of Élodie Thomis's appearances and goals for both her club and international matches throughout her career.
7.1. Club statistics
The following table summarizes Élodie Thomis's season-by-season appearances and goals for each club during her professional career.
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| CNFE Clairefontaine | 2002-03 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 4 |
| 2003-04 | 17 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 15 | |
| 2004-05 | 18 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 13 | |
| Total | 51 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 32 | |
| Montpellier | 2005-06 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 26 | 5 |
| 2006-07 | 22 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 15 | |
| Total | 42 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 48 | 20 | |
| Lyon | 2007-08 | 17 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 32 | 14 |
| 2008-09 | 17 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 26 | 18 | |
| 2009-10 | 16 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 27 | 16 | |
| 2010-11 | 14 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 23 | 11 | |
| 2011-12 | 21 | 15 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 34 | 20 | |
| 2012-13 | 16 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 31 | 14 | |
| Total | 101 | 63 | 25 | 16 | 47 | 14 | 173 | 93 | |
| Career total | 194 | 113 | 25 | 16 | 53 | 16 | 272 | 145 | |
7.2. International statistics
The following table summarizes Élodie Thomis's season-by-season appearances and goals for the French women's national team.
| National team | Season | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 2004-05 | 2 | 0 |
| 2005-06 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2006-07 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2007-08 | 6 | 5 | |
| 2008-09 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2009-10 | 11 | 5 | |
| 2010-11 | 15 | 4 | |
| 2011-12 | 21 | 8 | |
| 2012-13 | 2 | 1 | |
| Total | 81 | 26 | |
7.3. International goals
This section lists the specific details of each goal scored by Élodie Thomis in international matches.
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 November 2006 | Stade de la Libération, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France | Belgium | 5-0 | 6-0 | Friendly |
| 2 | 27 October 2007 | Stadion Kralj Petar I, Belgrade, Serbia | Serbia | 0-5 | 0-8 | UEFA Women's Euro 2009 qualifying |
| 3 | 0-6 | |||||
| 4 | 31 October 2007 | Stanko Mlakar Stadium, Kranj, Slovenia | Slovenia | 0-2 | 0-2 | UEFA Women's Euro 2009 qualifying |
| 5 | 30 January 2008 | Stade Francis Turcan, Martigues, France | Italy | 6-0 | 6-0 | Friendly |
| 6 | 23 April 2008 | Yiannis Pathiakakis Stadium, Akratitos, Greece | Greece | 0-5 | 0-5 | UEFA Women's Euro 2009 qualifying |
| 7 | 7 March 2009 | Tasos Markou Stadium, Paralimni, Cyprus | England | 1-2 | 2-2 | 2009 Cyprus Cup |
| 8 | 22 April 2009 | Stade Gaston Gérard, Dijon, France | Switzerland | 2-0 | 2-0 | Friendly |
| 9 | 12 August 2009 | Stade des Grands Prés, Chartres, France | Scotland | 2-0 | 4-0 | Friendly |
| 10 | 23 September 2009 | Stadion NK Inter Zaprešić, Zaprešić, Croatia | Croatia | 0-7 | 0-7 | 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |
| 11 | 24 October 2009 | Stade de Gerland, Lyon, France | Iceland | 2-0 | 2-0 | 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |
| 12 | 28 October 2009 | Stade Jules Deschaseaux, Le Havre, France | Estonia | 9-0 | 12-0 | 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |
| 13 | 23 June 2010 | Kadrioru Stadium, Tallinn, Estonia | Estonia | 0-2 | 0-6 | 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |
| 14 | 25 August 2010 | Stade de l'Aube, Troyes, France | Serbia | 1-0 | 7-0 | 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |
| 15 | 18 June 2011 | Stade de l'Épopée, Calais, France | Belgium | 5-0 | 7-0 | Friendly |
| 16 | 30 June 2011 | Ruhrstadion, Bochum, Germany | Canada | 4-0 | 4-0 | 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup |
| 17 | 16 July 2011 | Rhein-Neckar-Arena, Sinsheim, Germany | Sweden | 1-1 | 2-1 | 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup |
| 18 | 24 August 2011 | Stade Félix-Bollaert, Lens, France | Poland | 1-0 | 2-0 | Friendly |
| 19 | 20 November 2011 | Stade Pierre-Aliker, Fort-de-France, Martinique | Mexico | 4-0 | 5-0 | Friendly |
| 20 | 4 April 2012 | Stade Michel d'Ornano, Caen, France | Wales | 1-0 | 4-0 | UEFA Women's Euro 2013 qualifying |
| 21 | 2-0 | |||||
| 22 | 3-0 | |||||
| 23 | 4 July 2012 | Stade de la Source, Orléans, France | Romania | 1-0 | 6-0 | Friendly |
| 24 | 28 July 2012 | Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland | North Korea | 2-0 | 5-0 | 2012 Summer Olympics |
| 25 | 31 July 2012 | St James' Park, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England | Colombia | 1-0 | 1-0 | 2012 Summer Olympics |
| 26 | 15 September 2012 | Stade du Roudourou, Guingamp, France | Republic of Ireland | 1-0 | 4-0 | UEFA Women's Euro 2013 qualifying |
| 27 | 4 April 2013 | Stade du Ray, Nice, France | Canada | 1-0 | 1-1 | Friendly |
| 28 | 5 April 2014 | Stade Jean-Bouin, Angers, France | Kazakhstan | 3-0 | 7-0 | 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |
| 29 | 9 April 2014 | MMArena, Le Mans, France | Austria | 3-0 | 3-1 | 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |
| 30 | 7 May 2014 | Stade Léo Lagrange, Besançon, France | Hungary | 1-0 | 4-0 | 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |
| 31 | 25 October 2014 | Sparda Bank Hessen Stadium, Offenbach am Main, Germany | Germany | 0-2 | 0-2 | Friendly |
| 32 | 21 June 2015 | Olympic Stadium, Montreal, Canada | South Korea | 2-0 | 3-0 | 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup |
8. Honours
Élodie Thomis earned numerous titles and awards throughout her distinguished playing career at both club and international levels.
8.1. Club
Montpellier
- Coupe de France Féminine: 2006, 2007
Olympique Lyonnais
- Division 1 Féminine: 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16
- Coupe de France Féminine: 2007-08, 2011-12, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
- UEFA Women's Champions League: 2010-11, 2011-12, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18
8.2. International
France
- UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship: 2003
- Cyprus Cup: 2012, 2014
- SheBelieves Cup: 2017