Best Women Soccer Players From Netherlands: The Netherlands women’s national football team has been really successful in international women’s football. They won the UEFA Women’s Championship in 2017 and came in second in the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2019.
In 2009, the Netherlands wanted to host the European Championships, but Finland won the vote. However, the Dutch team still qualified for the tournament and did well, reaching the semi-finals but losing to England.
They tried to host the 2013 European Championship but lost to Sweden. The team qualified for the tournament but didn’t make it past the preliminary round.
Many Dutch players have played in the German Bundesliga, especially with FFC Heike Rheine. Notable players include Marleen Wissink and Annemieke Kiesel.
In 2017, the team’s success in the European Championship boosted their FIFA world ranking to 7th place. After coming second in the 2019 World Cup, they climbed to 3rd place in the rankings and qualified for the Olympic football tournament for the first time. They also qualified for the European Championship in 2022.
Best Women Soccer Players From Netherlands
Now, let’s focus on some of the best players and top scorers from the Dutch women’s national team.
1. Vivianne Miedema
- Career Span: 2013–present
- Matches: 115
- Goals: 95
- Average: 0.83
Vivianne Miedema is a star player for the Netherlands women’s soccer team and top scorers. She made her senior national team debut in 2013. In her second international match, she scored a hat trick against Portugal. During World Cup qualifiers, she was joint top scorer with 16 goals, tying with Jamaican player Shakira Duncan. In 2017, she won the European Championship title with the senior national team and scored two goals in the final against Denmark.
Miedema reached significant milestones, scoring her 50th international goal in 2018 and becoming the all-time top scorer for the Netherlands with her 60th international goal during the 2019 World Cup. She played in the 2020 Olympics, where she scored multiple goals, but the team was eliminated in the quarterfinals against the USA.
During the European Championships, she played in the first group game against Sweden, but she couldn’t continue due to testing positive for COVID-19. Despite her absence, the team reached the quarterfinals but lost to France in extra time.
In the qualification game for the 2023 World Cup against Iceland, Miedema scored the winning goal, securing their spot in the finals. She was the team’s top scorer, contributing significantly to their success.
2. Lieke Martens
- Career Span: 2011–present
- Matches: 150
- Goals: 60
- Average: 0.4
Lieke Martens is a prominent player for the Netherlands women’s soccer team and their second-highest scorer. She made her senior national team debut on August 22, 2011, in a match against China. She participated in the 2013 European Championships in Sweden with the senior national team, although their journey ended after the group games. In the 2015 World Cup in Canada, Martens played a crucial role, scoring the Netherlands’ first World Cup goal with a long-range shot against New Zealand.
Martens was a key player in the qualifying matches for the 2019 World Cup, scoring four goals, including the decisive goal in the 1-0 win against Slovakia. The team had to go through playoffs for the last European starting place and successfully qualified by defeating Denmark and Switzerland.
During the 2019 World Cup, Martens played in all seven games and scored both goals in the 2-1 victory against Japan in the round of 16. The team made it to the final against the USA but lost 2-0. Despite this, their performance secured a spot in the Olympics for the first time due to reaching the semi-finals. Martens also celebrated her 100th international match on March 6, 2019, in the 11th-place match at the 2019 Algarve Cup against China.
3. Manon Melis
- Career Span: 2005–2016
- Matches: 136
- Goals: 59
- Average: 0.43
Manon Melis is one of the best women’s soccer players from the Netherlands and the third-highest scorer in the country’s women’s team. She started her international career in 2004. In her first game, as a substitute, she scored her first goal against Belgium. Melis played in the European Championship finals in 2009 and 2013. In 2014, the Netherlands qualified for the World Cup for the first time after winning playoffs against Scotland and Italy.
In the 2015 World Cup, Melis played a key role, scoring seven goals in the qualifying matches. The Netherlands reached the round of 16 but got eliminated by Japan. Melis also participated in the qualifying tournament for the 2016 Olympics, where she became the top scorer. Despite her efforts, the Dutch team narrowly missed qualification for the Olympics.
Throughout her career, Melis scored 59 international goals, including four goals against Serbia in 2011 and three goals against Albania in 2013. After her international successes, she retired from the national team.
4. Sherida Spitse
- Career Span: 2006–present
- Matches: 221
- Goals: 44
- Average: 0.2
Sherida Spitse is a standout player in the Netherlands women’s soccer team and their fourth-highest scorer. She made her debut in the national team at the age of 16 under coach Vera Pauw. Her first international match was in 2006 against England in a World Cup qualifying game, which the Netherlands lost 4-0. By September 2009, she had played 35 international matches and scored one goal.
Spitse was part of the squad for the 2009 European Championships, although she didn’t play in the semi-final. She marked her 100th international appearance in 2015 in a match against Thailand, where she also scored a goal. In 2017, she captained the national team to victory in the European Championship.
During the qualifiers for the 2019 World Cup, Spitse played in all 12 games. The Netherlands had to go through playoffs where they defeated Denmark and Switzerland, and Spitse equaled the Dutch international record with her 155th international match. In the 2019 World Cup, she played in all seven games, including the final against the USA, where the Netherlands finished as runners-up. The team’s performance secured them a spot in the Olympics for the first time due to reaching the semi-finals.
Spitse also played a crucial role in the successful qualification for the 2022 European Championships, participating in nine out of ten games, with only one match being missed due to her club’s refusal to participate because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
5. Danielle van de Donk
- Career Span: 2010–present
- Matches: 144
- Goals: 35
- Average: 0.24
Danielle van de Donk is a prominent player in the Netherlands women’s soccer team and their fifth-highest scorer. She made her international debut in December 2010 in a friendly against Mexico and later played in the 2011 Cyprus Cup. Although the team reached the final, they lost to Canada after extra time.
She was part of the qualifying matches for various tournaments, including the 2013 European Championship and the 2015 World Cup. The Netherlands qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 2015, and van de Donk played in all seven games. In 2017, she won the European Women’s Championship with the Dutch team. She also played in the 2019 World Cup, where they reached the final but lost to the USA.
Van de Donk marked her 100th international match in 2019, scoring the opening goal against Russia. She also participated in the 2020 Olympic Games, where the Netherlands was eliminated in the quarterfinals. She played in the ongoing qualification matches for the 2023 World Cup, scoring four goals before being sidelined due to an Achilles tendon injury.
She returned to play in June 2022 and was nominated for the European Championship finals in 2023.
6. Sylvia Smit
- Career Span: 2004–2013
- Matches: 106
- Goals: 30
- Average: 0.28
Sylvia Smit is a talented women’s soccer player from the Netherlands and ranks as the sixth-highest scorer in the country’s women’s team. Smit made her international debut on August 6, 2004, in a match against Japan, which the Netherlands lost 2-0. On November 25, 2012, she achieved her 100th international appearance in a 2-0 victory against Wales, becoming the sixth Dutchwoman to reach this milestone.
Throughout her 106 games, she has scored 30 goals, including six goals in a notable 13-1 victory against Macedonia on October 29, 2009.
She was part of the squad for the 2013 European Championships, although her playing time was limited to a brief appearance in the last group game. Unfortunately, the Netherlands was eliminated after the preliminary round of that tournament.
7. Marjoke de Bakker
- Career Span: 1979–1991
- Matches: 61
- Goals: 29
- Average: 0.48
Marjoke de Bakker is a former Dutch professional footballer who played as a forward for Kooger Football Club and the Netherlands women’s national team.
She earned 61 caps during her career. For a long time, she held the record as the all-time top goal scorer for the Netherlands, with 29 goals.
However, on August 21, 2010, her record was surpassed when Manon Melis scored twice against Belarus, reaching 30 international goals. Melis, in turn, lost the record to Vivianne Miedema on June 15, 2019. As of Oct 2023, Marjoke de Bakker is ranked 7th on the all-time goal-scoring list for the Dutch women’s football team.
8. Lineth Beerensteyn
- Career Span: 2015–present
- Matches: 94
- Goals: 26
- Average: 0.28
Lineth Beerensteyn is a notable women’s soccer player from the Netherlands and ranks as the eighth-highest scorer in the country’s women’s team. She had success with the U-19 national team, winning the European Championship title in 2014.
Beerensteyn made her senior national team debut on June 4, 2016, in a friendly against the South African national team. She scored her first senior international goal on October 20, 2016, in a friendly against the Scottish national team. She had short appearances during the European Championships in 2017, where the Netherlands won the title. Beerensteyn also contributed to the Dutch team’s success at the 2018 Algarve Cup, where they shared the title with Sweden.
In the 2019 World Cup, Beerensteyn played in all seven of the Netherlands’ games and scored a crucial winning goal against Canada. The team reached the final for the first time but lost to defending champions USA.
She was nominated for the national team squad for the 2020 Olympic Football Tournament, which took place in Japan from July 21 to August 7, 2021.
9. Jill Roord
- Career Span: 2016–present
- Matches: 92
- Goals: 25
- Average: 0.27
Jill Roord ranks as the ninth-highest scorer in the country’s women’s team. She made her debut on February 7, 2015, in a friendly against the Thai national team, where the Netherlands won 7-0. Roord scored her first international goal on May 20, 2015, in a 7-0 victory against the Estonian national team, putting her team ahead 1-0 in the twelfth minute.
In the 2017 European Championship, where the Netherlands emerged victorious, Roord was subbed on three times in the final minutes, totaling ten minutes of play. During the qualification matches for the 2019 World Cup, she played in ten games, mostly as a substitute. Roord was part of the Dutch squad for the World Cup and played in all seven matches. She scored the only goal in the first group game against New Zealand in stoppage time. Ultimately, Roord and her team reached the final but lost to the defending champions, the USA.
She was also nominated for the national team squad for the 2020 Olympic Football Tournament held in Japan from July 21 to August 7, 2021.
10. Shanice Van De Sanden
- Career Span: 2008–present
- Matches: 95
- Goals: 21
- Average: 0.22
Shanice van de Sanden is a notable women’s soccer player from the Netherlands and ranks as the tenth-highest scorer in the country’s women’s team. She made her debut in the senior national team at just 16 years old, catching the eye of coach Vera Pauw through her performances for Saestum and Utrecht. In her first international appearance against France, the Netherlands won 2-0.
Van de Sanden scored her first international goal during the Cyprus Women’s Cup in March 2009, contributing to a 5-0 victory. She was the youngest player in the Dutch squad for the European Championship finals in Finland, a dream come true for her. Throughout her career, she played for the U-19 team and was a regular player at the 2017 European Championships held in the Netherlands, where she scored crucial goals, including one in the final.
In the qualification matches for the 2019 World Cup, she played in all twelve games and helped secure the Dutch team’s spot in the tournament. Van de Sanden was part of the Dutch squad in the 2019 World Cup in France, contributing to the team’s journey to the final, where they faced the defending champions, the USA, ultimately losing 2-0.
