Mt 20 she wanted to be world champion. And at 24. And at 28.
At 21, she wanted to be an Olympic champion. And at 25.
At 22, she wanted to be European champion. And at 26. And at 30.
Now at 32, Wendie Renard, one of the greatest footballers of her generation, is still not a European, Olympic or world champion. And it has become more likely that she never will.
On Friday February 24, Renard announced on her Instagram channel that she will not play for the France national team in Australia and New Zealand this summer. She could “no longer support the current system”, had to “maintain her mental health” and “didn’t want to suffer anymore”. The footballer, who once said “titles and records” are her biggest motivator, voluntarily pulled out of a tournament five months earlier that is missing from her title list. And those who support her see it this way: With this resistance, Wendie Renard is taking the risk of losing what might be her last World Championship – in order to win something bigger.