Daniëlle van de Donk

2.1. Willem II

At the age of 17, Van de Donk made her professional debut for the Dutch Eredivisie club Willem II in 2008. She spent four seasons with the Tricolores, making 47 competitive league appearances and scoring five goals. In her first season in 2008, she played in 18 of 24 matches, scoring one goal. During her second season, she suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, which sidelined her for several months. She made seven appearances for Willem II during the 2009-10 season, with the club finishing in third place. In the 2010-11 season, she scored four goals in 21 matches while playing as a starting midfielder.

2.2. VVV-Venlo

Ahead of the 2011-12 season, Van de Donk signed with VVV-Venlo. She played in 18 regular season games, scoring eight goals as a starter for the club. Her notable performances included scoring a brace against Heerenveen, leading her team to a 2-1 victory. In another match against PEC Zwolle, she scored the game-winning goal in the 83rd minute, securing a 5-4 win for VVV. She also scored another brace against Heerenveen, contributing to a 3-1 win. VVV finished the season in fifth place. Van de Donk also helped VVV reach the final of the KNVB Women's Cup in 2012, where they were runners-up.

2.3. PSV/FC Eindhoven

Following her time at VVV-Venlo, Van de Donk joined PSV/FC Eindhoven for the inaugural season of the Dutch & Belgian BeNe League in 2012. During her tenure with Eindhoven, she showcased an impressive scoring record, accumulating 30 goals in 53 appearances. In 2014, she reached the final of the KNVB Women's Cup with PSV/FC Eindhoven, earning a runners-up medal.

2.4. Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC

In June 2015, Van de Donk transferred to the Swedish Damallsvenskan club Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC. She made 13 appearances for the club, scoring four goals. On 11 October, she scored a brace, which were the only goals for her team, in a 4-2 loss to KIF Örebro. Göteborg finished the 2015 season in sixth place in the Damallsvenskan.

2.5. Arsenal

On 20 November 2015, Van de Donk joined the English club Arsenal in the FA Women's Super League (FA WSL). Her move to Arsenal was immediately successful, as she started in the 2016 FA Cup final on 14 May 2016. Arsenal defeated Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley Stadium to claim their fourteenth FA Cup title.

On 7 October 2016, Van de Donk signed a new contract with Arsenal. She played as a starting midfielder in 14 of the 15 games, scoring three goals and helping Arsenal to a third-place finish. During the FA WSL Spring Series, she scored two goals in eight matches. In the 2017-18 season, Van de Donk scored five goals in 18 matches, including a brace against Bristol City on 20 May, contributing to a 6-1 victory. Arsenal finished that season in third place.

Van de Donk played a crucial role in Arsenal's 2018-19 WSL championship season. She contributed a combined 23 goals and assists across all competitions. Sports Illustrated highlighted her as "crucial to Arsenal's efforts in trying to recapture a first Women's Super League title since 2012." A notable moment occurred on 17 November when her double nutmeg against a defender went viral on Twitter. Arsenal concluded the season as league champions.

In March 2019, marking her fifth year with the club, Van de Donk signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal. Arsenal manager Joe Montemurro praised her, stating, "She brings a world class attitude and quality that are vital to our team." During the 2019-20 season, she scored five goals in 15 matches. The FA suspended the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, determining the final standings based on points per game. Arsenal finished in third place and reached the final of the 2019-20 FA WSL Cup, where they lost 2-1 to Chelsea. In October 2020, she was named WSL Player of the Week after her performance in a 5-0 win against Brighton & Hove Albion, where she scored Arsenal's second goal and had over 60 touches on the ball.

2.6. Olympique Lyonnais

In June 2021, Lyon announced the signing of Van de Donk to a two-year contract. She made her league debut for Lyon on 5 September 2021, against Saint-Étienne. She has made 100 appearances and scored 19 goals for the club since joining. In the 2024-25 UEFA Women's Champions League match against VfL Wolfsburg, Van de Donk scored in the 81st minute, securing a 1-0 victory for Lyon.

3.1. Early career and Euro 2013

Van de Donk made her debut for the Netherlands national team at the age of 19, in a match against Mexico on 15 December 2010, during the 2010 City of São Paulo Tournament. She scored her first official international goal in the 2013 European Championship qualifiers against Serbia. In June 2013, Dutch national team coach Roger Reijners selected Van de Donk for the Netherlands squad for UEFA Women's Euro 2013 in Sweden. However, the team lost all three of their group stage matches and did not advance in the tournament.

3.2. 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup

Van de Donk participated in the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada under coach Roger Reijners. The Netherlands finished third in Group A and advanced to the knockout round as one of the best third-placed teams. They faced the 2011 champions, Japan, in the knockout stage, where they were defeated 2-1.

3.3. UEFA Euro 2017 victory

On 14 June 2017, Van de Donk was selected for the Dutch squad for UEFA Women's Euro 2017, hosted in the Netherlands. She played an integral role throughout the tournament. In the semi-finals, she scored a crucial goal against England, contributing to a dominant 3-0 win for the Dutch. Van de Donk also started in the final against Denmark, where her creative presence was instrumental in helping the Netherlands secure the victory. Following their triumph, the team was honored by the Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Minister of Sport Edith Schippers and were appointed Knights of the Order of Orange-Nassau.

3.4. 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup runner-up

Van de Donk was selected for the final squad for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France. Ahead of the tournament, ESPN ranked her among their top 25 players. The Netherlands won all three of their group stage matches, finishing at the top of their group and advancing to the knockout stage. In the Round of 16, the Dutch faced Japan, the team that had eliminated them from the 2015 World Cup. This time, the Netherlands secured a 2-1 victory. The Guardian described Van de Donk as "Holland's best player tonight" in that match. The team then defeated Italy 2-1 in the quarterfinal, advancing to the semi-final for the first time in their history. Van de Donk played every minute of the semi-final against Sweden, which the Netherlands won 1-0 in the ninth minute of extra time, securing their first-ever World Cup final appearance. In the final, the Netherlands faced the 2015 champions, the United States, and lost 2-0. After the loss, Van de Donk reflected on the significant growth of women's football in the Netherlands, stating, "The growth [of women's football in the Netherlands] is ridiculous. If I look at women's football and the hype, it's amazing. I think that's what I'm most proud of, that we got so much respect from the Netherlands."

On 8 October 2019, Van de Donk marked her 100th international appearance by scoring a goal in a 2-0 win against Russia.

3.5. Euro 2022 and 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup

In the UEFA Women's Euro 2022, Van de Donk scored the winning goal in a 3-2 match against Portugal, helping her team advance to the knockout stage. On 31 May 2023, she was named as part of the Netherlands provisional squad for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. During a group stage game against the United States, Van de Donk sustained a head injury and received treatment for several minutes before returning to play wearing a swim cap to prevent further bleeding.

6.1. Club honours

• VVV-Venlo
  • KNVB Women's Cup: runner-up 2012
• PSV/FC Eindhoven
  • KNVB Women's Cup: runner-up 2014
• Arsenal
  • FA Women's Cup: 2015-16
  • FA WSL Cup: 2017-18
  • FA WSL: 2018-19
• Olympique Lyonnais
  • Division 1 Féminine: 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24
  • Coupe de France: 2022-23
  • Trophée des Championnes: 2022, 2023
  • UEFA Champions League: 2021-22

6.2. International honours

• UEFA Women's Championship: 2017
• FIFA Women's World Cup: runner-up 2019
• Algarve Cup: 2018
• Tournoi de France: runner-up 2020

6.3. Individual honours

• Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau: 2017