Factfile:
Date of birth: July 20 1990
Clubs: OL Lyonnes (2006-current)
Nationality: France
Honours: UWCL (8), Première Ligue (18), Coupe de France (11), Coupe LFFP (1), Trophée des Champions (3)
Queen of Europe
"When I think of the Champions League, I think of Wendie Renard."
These are the words of Renard's former OL Lyonnes teammate, Lucy Bronze.
It's hard to win Europe's most elite competition a record eight times and not become synonymous with it. The 35-year-old is one of the most decorated players in women's football history. She has spent her entire career at Lyonnes, becoming a cornerstone of the French giants -- winning an unprecedented eight Champions League trophies as well as 18 league titles across two decades.
Combining leadership, consistency, and an unmatched winning mentality, the commanding six-foot-two centre-back has been at the heart of Lyonnes' gargantuan achievements.
Renowned for her imposing physical presence and deadly threat from set pieces, Renard has established herself as one of the most prolific goalscoring defenders in the world, ranking sixth among the club's all-time top goalscorers.
From Martinique to the big stage
Born in Martinique, a French island in the Caribbean, Renard began playing football at just seven years old with Essor Préchotin before a brief spell at Rapid Club du Lorrain.
Determined to pursue her dream, she left her homeland as a teenager to chase a football career overseas. After failing to break into the famous Clairefontaine academy, Renard joined Lyonnes' youth setup aged 16, and the rest is history. She played two league games in her debut season before becoming virtually undroppable for years to come.
Reflecting on her arrival at Lyonnes, Renard recalled how former coach Farid Benstiti immediately believed in her potential.
"After watching me in training for 20 minutes, [Benstiti] said, 'I'm keeping her. She's going to learn and progress,'" Renard said.
Benstiti's faith in the rising star proved prophetic.
Champions League royalty
Renard leads the all-time appearance list in the UWCL, with 134, and is set to feature in her 12th final, as she targets a record-extending ninth European trophy when Lyonnes take on Barcelona in Oslo on May 23.
She has started every single European final in the club's history, captaining her side in seven of those. In 2011, Renard scored in the final as Lyonnes avenged their defeat to Potsdam from the previous year to clinch the club's first-ever UWCL trophy. The winning never seemed to stop. In 2020, Renard scored the decisive goal in the semifinal before guiding the club to a fifth successive European title.
Sky-high ambitions
When Renard was asked at school what she wanted to be when she grew up, she gave two answers: professional footballer or flight attendant. Her teacher reportedly told her to cross out 'professional footballer,' insisting that job "doesn't exist."
She may not have become a flight attendant, but football took her all over Europe, conquering some of the best clubs in the world. Renard turned a dream once dismissed into one of the greatest football careers the women's game has ever seen, even surpassing the legendary Paco Gento for most European titles won by a single player.
Former Lyonnes manager Jean-Luc Vasseur, who oversaw a historic period of winning a treble with Renard during the 2019-20 season, summed up Renard's importance perfectly: "Wendie Renard is an exceptional player. Wendie cannot be categorised and cannot be replaced."
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International stage
Renard made her senior debut for France in 2011 and went on to become a long-time captain, representing her nation in two World Cups and two Olympics.
She had a major impact at the World Cup in 2019 on home soil, scoring four goals across the tournament. Remarkably, the centre-back has scored 39 goals in 168 appearances for France.