Sari van Veenendaal

2.1. Birth and Early Life

Sari van Veenendaal was born on 3 April 1990, in Nieuwegein, the Netherlands. Standing at 5.8 ft ^{(1.77 m)} tall, she developed into a goalkeeper. Her early footballing foundation was laid at the youth club VSV Vreeswijk.

3.1. The Netherlands

Van Veenendaal began her professional football career in 2007 with FC Utrecht. During her time there, she primarily served as an understudy to the main goalkeeper, Angela Christ, which limited her opportunities for appearances. In 2010, she made a significant move to FC Twente. At Twente, she established herself as the team's primary goalkeeper and played a crucial role in their achievements. She helped the club secure the Eredivisie title in the 2010-11 season. Additionally, she contributed to FC Twente winning three consecutive BeNe League titles in the 2012-13, 2013-14, and 2014-15 seasons. She also won the KNVB Women's Cup in the 2014-15 season with FC Twente.

3.2. Arsenal

In 2015, Van Veenendaal transferred to the English club Arsenal, competing in the FA Women's Super League. In her debut season with Arsenal, the club won the 2015 FA WSL Cup. The following season, Arsenal secured the 2015-16 FA Women's Cup, defeating Chelsea 1-0 in the final. Van Veenendaal continued to contribute to Arsenal's success, winning another FA WSL Cup in the 2017-18 season by keeping a clean sheet against Manchester City Women in the final. Her tenure at Arsenal concluded in 2019, but not before she helped the team win the 2018-19 FA WSL title.

3.3. Atlético Madrid

Following the expiry of her contract with Arsenal in July 2019, Van Veenendaal moved to Spain to join Atlético Madrid. She played for the club in the Primera División Femenina, the top-tier women's football league in Spain.

3.4. PSV

In May 2020, Van Veenendaal returned to the Netherlands, joining PSV on a free transfer. She remained with PSV until her retirement from professional football.

4.1. Debut and Early Activities

Van Veenendaal earned her first cap for the senior Netherlands national team on 7 March 2011. This debut occurred during the Cyprus Cup, where the Netherlands secured a decisive 6-0 victory over Switzerland. Her consistent performances led to her selection for the national squad for both the UEFA Women's Euro 2013 and the FIFA Women's World Cup 2015.

4.2. UEFA Women's Euro

Van Veenendaal was a vital part of the Netherlands national team that competed in and ultimately won the UEFA Women's Euro 2017, which was hosted in her home country. She started in all six matches throughout the tournament, conceding only three goals, a performance that was instrumental in the Netherlands winning every match en route to the title. For her exceptional goalkeeping, she was named to the Best XI of the tournament. Following this historic victory, the entire team, including Van Veenendaal, was honored by the then Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Minister of Sport Edith Schippers, and were made Knights of the Order of Orange-Nassau.

She was also selected for the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 squad held in England. However, during the tournament, she suffered a severe injury and was subsequently replaced by Jacinta Weimar.

4.3. FIFA Women's World Cup

Van Veenendaal played a crucial role in the Netherlands' campaign at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup held in France. Her strong performances helped the team reach the final, where they finished as runners-up. For her outstanding goalkeeping throughout the tournament, she was awarded the Golden Glove, recognizing her as the best goalkeeper of the competition.

5.1. Club Honours

5.2. National Team Honours

5.3. Individual Honours

• UEFA European Women's Championship Team of the Tournament: 2017
• FIFA Women's World Cup Golden Glove: 2019
• The Best FIFA Women's Goalkeeper: 2019
• IFFHS World's Best Woman Goalkeeper: 2019
• IFFHS Women's World Team: 2019
• Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau: 2017