Wendie Renard

Wendie Renard
Renard in 2019
Personal information
Full name Wendie Thérèse Renard
Date of birth 20 July 1990
Place of birth Schœlcher, Martinique, France
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team
Lyon
Number 3
Youth career
1997–2005 Essor-Préchotain
2005–2006 Rapid Club du Lorrain
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006– Lyon 292 (96)
International career
2007–2009 France U19 18 (0)
2008–2010 France U20 7 (0)
2011– France 155 (37)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 8 December 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 1 December 2023

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.

Career statistics

Club

As of 3 December 2022
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Lyon 2006–07 Division 1 Féminine 2 0 1 0 0 0 3 0
2007–08 14 2 3 1 6 2 23 5
2008–09 19 2 3 0 4 0 26 2
2009–10 20 6 3 0 9 0 32 6
2010–11 20 2 3 0 9 3 32 5
2011–12 20 9 4 1 8 1 32 11
2012–13 13 3 6 2 7 3 26 8
2013–14 19 7 6 1 4 0 29 8
2014–15 21 10 4 1 4 1 29 12
2015–16 15 6 3 4 6 1 24 11
2016–17 16 6 4 0 8 2 28 8
2017–18 17 5 5 3 8 4 30 12
2018–19 17 8 4 2 9 4 30 14
2019–20 14 7 5 2 6 5 1 0 26 14
2020–21 20 10 1 1 5 4 26 15
2021–22 16 2 2 2 9 3 27 7
2022–23 9 4 0 0 3 0 0 0 12 4
Career total 272 89 57 20 105 33 1 0 435 142
  1. Appearance in Trophée des Championnes

International

As of match played 1 December 2023
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
France 2011 13 1
2012 19 5
2013 14 9
2014 14 1
2015 15 1
2016 9 1
2017 14 1
2018 6 1
2019 14 4
2020 4 1
2021 4 4
2022 13 4
2023 16 4
Total 155 37

International goals

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 20 November 2011 Stade Pierre-Aliker, Fort-de-France, Martinique Mexico 5–0 5–0 Friendly
2 1 March 2012 GSZ Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus Finland 1–2 1–2 2012 Cyprus Cup
3 31 March 2012 Stade Jules Deschaseaux, Le Havre, France Scotland 2–0 2–0 UEFA Women's Euro 2013 qualifying
4 19 July 2012 Stade Sébastien Charléty, Paris, France Japan 2–0 2–0 Friendly
5 28 July 2012 Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland North Korea 4–0 5–0 2012 Summer Olympics
6 3 August 2012 Sweden 1–2 1–2
7 15 July 2013 Idrottsparken, Norrköping, Sweden Spain 0–1 0–1 UEFA Women's Euro 2013
8 19 July 2013 Linköping Arena, Linköping, Sweden England 3–0 3–0
9 20 September 2013 Stade Robert Bobin, Bondoufle, France Czech Republic 1–0 2–0 Friendly
10 25 October 2013 Stade Pierre Brisson, Beauvais, France Poland 2–0 6–0
11 31 October 2013 Sonnensee Stadion, Ritzing, Austria Austria 1–3 1–3 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification
12 23 November 2013 Lovech Stadium, Lovech, Bulgaria Bulgaria 0–5 0–10
13 0–6
14 27 November 2013 MMArena, Le Mans, France Bulgaria 6–0 14–0
15 8–0
16 10 March 2014 GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus Netherlands 0–3 0–3 2014 Cyprus Cup
17 19 September 2015 Stade Océane, Le Havre, France Brazil 1–0 2–1 Friendly
18 16 July 2016 Stade Sébastien Charléty, Paris, France China 2–0 3–0
19 1 March 2017 Talen Energy Stadium, Chester, Pennsylvania, United States England 1–2 1–2 2017 SheBelieves Cup
20 10 November 2018 Allianz Riviera, Nice, France Brazil 3–0 3–1 Friendly
21 7 June 2019 Parc des Princes, Paris, France South Korea 2–0 4–0 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup
22 3–0
23 17 June 2019 Roazhon Park, Rennes, France Nigeria 0–1 0–1
24 28 June 2019 Parc des Princes, Paris, France United States 2–1 2–1
25 27 November 2020 Stade du Roudourou, Guingamp, France Austria 1–0 3–0 UEFA Women's Euro 2022 qualifying
26 20 February 2021 Stade Saint-Symphorien, Metz, France Switzerland 1–0 2–0 Friendly
27 23 February 2021 Switzerland 1–0 2–0
28 2–0
29 17 September 2021 Pampeloponnisiako Stadium, Patras, Greece Greece 0–10 0–10 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification
30 16 February 2022 Stade Océane, Le Havre Finland 3–0 5–0 2022 Tournoi de France
31 5–0
32 22 February 2022 Netherlands 1–0 3–1
33 8 April 2022 Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli, Wales Wales 0–1 1–2 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification
34 18 February 2023 Stade Raymond Kopa, Angers, France Uruguay 3–1 5–1 2023 Tournoi de France
35 29 July 2023 Lang Park, Brisbane, Australia Brazil 2–1 2–1 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup
36 26 September 2023 Franz Horr Stadium, Vienna, Austria Austria 0–1 0–1 2023–24 UEFA Women's Nations League
37 27 October 2023 Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway Norway 1–2 1–2
Correct as of 29 September 2023

Honours

Renard with the UEFA Women's Champions League trophy after the 2019 final.

Lyon

France

Individual

Orders

See also