2020 - Ingrid Hjelmseth (Norway, 138 caps / 125 WCT) - Hjelmseth’s route to becoming the national team starter was a long and tumultuous one. After Bente Nordby retired from the Norwegian national team in 2007, Hjelmseth overcame a string of injuries and a competitive goalkeeping core to eventually took over the starting role in 2009. At age 28, and only 16 caps to her name, Hjelmseth broke onto the scene in a surprise run during the 2009 Euro, in which an underdog Norway topped a heavily favored Swedish side 3-1 in route to a top-four finish. Although the 2011 World Cup would prove to be disappointing - the first and only time Norway didn’t advance out of the group stage to date - Hjelmseth and Noway would rebound in 2013. Three shutouts in the Four Nations Tournament, a third-place finish in the Algarve Cup, and a runner-up in the 2013 Euro re-established Norway on the international stage. Hjelmseth concluded her time with the national team in 2019, finishing with 138 caps to her name and an eighth-place finish at the 2019 World Cup.
Hjelmseth’s club career spanned twenty years with three Norwegian clubs. Throughout her time with Trondheims-Ørn (1999-06), Asker (2007-08), and Stabæk (2009-19), she won the Toppserien five times, the Norwegian Cup six times, and reached the Champions League quarterfinals three times. Hjelmseth played with a stunning combination of patience and bravery, consistently reading each attack in a precise manner and rarely relying on rash decision-making. Whether facing penalties, shots right under the crossbar or a chaotic play in the box, Hjelmseth’s competitive drive made it was clear why so many looked up to her as a leader within the team and an elite goalkeeper in the twenty-first century. Hjelmseth is the second Norwegian goalkeeper named to the Hall of Fame.
2021 - Rachel Brown-Finnis (England, 82 caps / 98 WCT) - One cannot talk about Brown’s journey to becoming England’s number without mentioning the number of times Brown overcame setbacks. At age seven, Brown wanted to play for her school but with no girls’ team available she was told, in Brown’s words, “OK, if you must play you'd better go in goal.” Brown’s path to the pro game was on the heels of being the only female player at an otherwise all-boys camp, being rewarded by David Seaman as the best player at the camp. Soon after signing with Liverpool, the young goalkeeper started in the 1996 FA Cup Final, as well as leading the club to a fourth-place finish in the Premier League in 1997 before heading off to the US for collegiate play.
Brown started at the University of Alabama before transferring to Pittsburgh, where she was named the 2000 Big East Goalkeeper of the Year. Upon returning to England in 2003, and being sidelined for a year and a half with a knee injury until the summer of 2005, Brown would switch Merseyside allegiances and join Everton, a club she would play for until 2014. With Brown at the helm, Everton finished in the top three in the league for eight straight seasons, regularly having one of - if not the - best defenses in the league. Everton made three trips to the UEFA Champions League and in 2010 Brown led the Blues over Arsenal 3-2 in the FA Cup Final.
Internationally, Brown bridged the gap between Pauline Cope and Karen Bardsley. Brown earned 11 caps before turning 21 years old, filling in when Cope was unavailable during Euro and World Cup qualifying campaigns from 1997-2001. Although the aforementioned knee injury in 2003 delayed her arrival, she earned her starting spot back for the last game in the group stage at the 2005 Euro. Brown would go on to start every match at the 2007 World Cup and 2009 Euro, finishing seventh and second, respectively. In the twilight of her career, Brown and Bardsley were named to the Great Britain roster for the 2012 Olympics, marking one of her proudest accomplishments in her professional career.
For a goalkeeper who emerged during a time when investment in goalkeeping was at a minimum, Brown continued to elevate the position through her fierce determination and self-belief for both club and country.
2022 - Sari van Veenendaal (Netherlands, 91 caps / 109 WCT) - In the summer of 2022, Sari van Veenendaal hung up her gloves, ending her career as one of the top goalkeepers in the history of the women’s game. While still young for the position at 32 years of age, she felt the “right moment” had come, presenting the opportunity to “explore new things.” The former Dutch international left behind a legacy adorned with the expected team trophies and personal accolades, having reached soaring heights at the club and international levels.
Born in the city of Nieuwegein, van Veenendaal played youth soccer with local side VSV Vreeswijk before signing a professional deal with FC Utrecht. After a few years as a back-up, she moved to FC Twente and received specialized training for the first time, enjoying the most active stretch of her club career with 112 appearances. Her tenure with The Tukkers includes winning the 2011 Eredivisie title, the KNVB Women’s Cup, and two consecutive BeNe League championships.
Strong performances led to increased interest, and van Veenendaal joined Arsenal, taking the starting job from Emma Byrne. Her English sojourn was successful, claiming the FA Women’s Super League, the FA Women’s Cup, and two FA WSL Cups. While with the Gunners, the goalkeeper took up the unique hobby of juggling before matches to relieve tension.
Out of contract in 2019, she then moved to Atlético Madrid as a free agent, believing the reigning Spanish champions “suited [her] best” and “offered all the conditions to further develop.” However, her time in the Primera División lasted a single season, desiring to return home. The following summer, van Veenendaal signed with PSV Eindhoven, citing the pull of being around family. Over two seasons, the goalkeeper made 39 appearances and played a key role in winning the KNVB Cup, the club’s first silverware, by stopping a penalty in the final.
As an international, van Veenendaal made her senior Netherlands debut in 2011, earning 91 caps before her recent retirement. She held the number one role for numerous tournaments, including the triumphant run at the UEFA Women’s Euro 2017, surrendering a mere three goals and registering shutouts against England, Norway, and Sweden. For her performance, the goalkeeper was named to the Best XI.
The Oranje (Orange) had another successful run at the succeeding 2019 Women’s World Cup, falling in the final to the United States Women’s National Team by a 2-0 margin. Van Veenendaal was once again called in to play the hero several times. That year, she was cascaded by a bevy of honors, including Golden Gloves, Best FIFA Goalkeeper, International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) Best Women’s Goalkeeper, and IFFHS Women’s World Team.
Unfortunately, van Veenendaal suffered a shoulder injury at the 2022 UEFA European Women’s Football Championship, leaving the opener against France in the 22nd minute. Following the Netherlands’ quarterfinal exit, she announced her retirement, having made her decision prior to the competition, taking several one-year contracts to facilitate a quick exit. A muted ending to her career belies the impact that was left on the field.
Van Veenendaal was an elite shot-stopper with the size and reflexes to cover the span of the goalmouth, possessing the composure to stare down all manner of point-blank opportunities. A reliable and no-nonsense competitor with excellent hands, she focused on limiting mistakes and the self-evident task of keeping the ball out of the goal. Dominating the six-yard box can be a bit of a throwback for the position, but mastery of the basics stands out among the flash of the modern game.
Her most famous performance came in the first half of that World Cup final against the United States Women’s National Team, pulling out four saves to keep proceedings level. Twice in quick succession she stopped Alex Morgan from close range, displaying the trademark composure and quick reflexes to deny the opponent. Stars build their legacies by producing on the biggest of stages, and van Veenendaal etched her name into the history books.
The Netherlands struggled prior to qualifying for the UEFA Women’s Championship in 2009, growing over the past decade into one of the world’s top programs. Van Veenendaal both benefited from and was partially responsible for the growth, rising to the thankless challenge of rectifying teammates’ errors. A crucial save in the 21st minute of a group stage fixture at EURO 2017 demonstrates her ability to quickly lock onto opponents at unexpected moments.
While her time atop the mountain was short, van Veenendaal made a profound impact and briefly reigned as the best in the goalkeeping kingdom. Performances on the international stage cemented her as one of football’s all-time greats, with peerless exhibitions of defense that pushed the Dutchwoman into the pantheon of stars. She retires from the sport and heads directly into the Hall of Fame.
2023 - Karen Bardsley (England, 81 caps / 92 WCT) - Some players are cursed with persistent injuries throughout their careers, often preventing the fulfillment of potential or driving them from the sport entirely. A rare few are able to overcome these issues and produce at a high level, indicating an inherent purity of talent and an unbreakable drive to climb the mountain. In addition to the traditional challenges and dearth of opportunities that once defined the women’s game, Karen Bardsley broke through the mire at every stage of her journey yet reached the pinnacle for both club and country.
Born in Santa Monica, California to English parents and raised in Chino Hills, Bardsley competed with AYSO, Chino Hills Nitemares, Upland Celtic, and So Cal Blues. Despite suffering a devastating injury during her junior year of high school, she rebounded with a strong senior season and was recruited by Cal State Fullerton. Her college career included a host of individual honors, including Big West Conference Freshman of the Year as well as multiple All-Big West First Team selections and Big West Goalkeeper of the Year awards.
After some time on the books at Ajax America Women and Pali Blues, Bardsley caught the attention of goalkeeping coach Paul Blodgett and was drafted by Sky Blue FC ahead of the inaugural Women’s Professional Soccer season. She spent three years in New Jersey but was challenged by a broken collar bone. Her journey then led to Linköpings FC in Sweden, making a mere three league appearances over two seasons.
Ahead of the 2013 season, Bardsley relocated to her ancestral home and joined the now-defunct Lincoln Ladies in the FA Women’s Super League. She featured in all 14 matches, helping the club reach the Leagues Cup final (then known as the Continental Cup) and avoid relegation. As would become a constant refrain throughout her career, her two saves in the semifinal round shootout secured victory over favored and eventual league champions Liverpool.
Her success in England led to a move to recently professionalized Manchester City, initially on a two-year deal, a tenure that began with a stress factor in her foot. In her first full season, Bardsley led the club to the 2014 Leagues Cup, crafting a shutout in the 1-0 final victory over Everton. During her eight years with the Blues, she collected a slew of trophies, including three additional Leagues Cups (her two penalty saves helped secure the 2019 Continental League Cup in a 4-2 shootout victory over Arsenal), three FA Cups, and the 2016 Women’s Super League title. The 20-year playing career ended at the age of 37, with the now-retired British-American assuming the role of girls’ academy manager at the Etihad.
At the international level, Bardsley is a dual-national eligible for the United States through birth and England due to her parents’ heritage, opting to represent the latter nation beginning with the youth squads and making her senior debut in March of 2005 at the Algarve Cup. She saw the field with England at three FIFA Women’s World Cups (2011, 2015, and 2019) and two UEFA Women’s Euro tournaments (2013 and 2017), while serving as backup at EURO 2009 and suiting up for Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
The bronze finish at the 2015 World Cup served as the high-water mark for her career with two sterling performances, the first in a 2-1 win against Colombia in the final Group F match. Bardsley sacrificed her body to make a crucial stop on a Carolina Arias breakaway. After the match, she claimed to have anticipated the attempted lob and “made [herself] as big” as possible, using her “beak” to produce the save.
Her performance in the third-place game, a 1-0 result over a potent Germany side, helped secure what was at the time the program’s best finish at the World Cup and first-ever victory over the European rival in 31 years of competition. Her seven varied saves maintained the clean sheet, but the standout was a 53rd-minute reflex stop on a close-range volley from Sara Däbritz. In a tightly contested match that required mettle and near perfection, she rose to the challenge with poise, technique, athleticism, and big-game execution that defined her career.
Bardsley collected 86 caps for England and Great Britain while also registering 103 appearances with Manchester City. In addition to claiming eight trophies with the Blues, she produced shutouts in three out of four major club finals. FIFA named her to the World Cup All-Star squad due to her stellar performance at the 2015 tournament.
Described as an “absolute top-class goalkeeper” who was a “commanding shot-stopper” and a real leader at the back,” her perfectionist nature enabled her to handle the sport’s expected challenges and overcome the unfortunate predisposition of medical issues. Bardsley modeled her game off of former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, utilizing her unique combination of size and coordination. Despite making the move later in her career, she cites the move to Manchester City and the club’s goalkeeper coach as helping her game “evolve from the old-school style to a modern style of goalkeeping,” with improvement in the progressive-possession style that has taken over the sport.
Bardsley may lack the trophy haul of some of her contemporaries, but she made a defined impact on the game. She was a key player for England as The Lionesses transitioned over a decade from a developing program into an international powerhouse. While many careers end in the unanswerable “What if?”, the Englishwoman from California lived up to her potential and exhibited moments of sublime talent on the field.
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