Have you heard the name Lieke Mertens in the field of women’s football? We assure you that if you have heard that name then you must have heard of a nation called the Netherlands and if you are aware of the nation, Netherlands also known as Holland, then you must be aware of facts and the dominance which the team has attained during the past two tenures of the World Cup because of this player. During the 2015 Women’s World Cup, she earned the nickname ‘Messi’ for leading the Netherlands to a strong performance. In 2019, she helped her team reach the World Cup finals, though they ultimately lost to the USA. As the Women’s World Cup begins again this year, let’s take a closer look at the Dutch superstar and team captain and how she will contribute to their success.

The Dutch striker was a great supporter of Barcelona Shine at the very young age of five and always followed her role model, Ronaldinho. The player wanted to play football but was neglected to gender inequality and was not allowed to play was rather made fun of but the player continued her struggle.

At the age of 16, she joined her first Dutch club called Heereven but her talent and skills caught the eye of various clubs across Europe, which led her to join FC Rosengard. Her journey of 18 months created amazing records in the club where she scored 20 goals in 29 appearances.

Her brilliant gameplay in Rosengard led her to her participation in the Dutch national team in 2015, when the Dutch qualified for the World Cup for the first time but had to say goodbye in the Round of 16 in Canada but that gave a boost to the player and the nation as well which resulted in winning laurels at 2017. The team participated in the 2017 Euros which led to the team winning the title, defeating Denmark 4-2 and the player won the Golden Ball Award. Further, that year was a bit more special for the player as it gave the player extreme heights. The player won the UEFA Women’s Player of the Year and the Best Women’s FIFA Player Title. In 2019, the player appeared in an advertisement with Lionel Messi, started a camp for young female players, and led her team to the FIFA Women’s World Cup finals, where they were defeated 2-0 by the USA. From 2017 to 2022, she played brilliantly for FC Barcelona and was later purchased by PSG earlier in the 2022-23 season, where she continues to have a safe and successful season.

Netherlands vs. Spain will be one of the most competitive quarterfinal matches which will be commenced on 11th August. Now coming to the World Cup scenario, Barcelona and PSG have always carried a magical bond with the World Cup. Ronaldinho moved from Barcelona to PSG in 2001 and Brazil won the World Cup in 2002. Something similar happened with Lionel Messi when the Barcelona legend flipped his team from FC Barcelona to PSG in 2021 after playing 16 years for the Spanish side, and the Argentine won the World Cup in 2022. Will the world witness another Barca-PSG World Cup link? Will Mertens become the frontwomen of the Netherlands this time?