Victoria Pelova
{{Short description|Dutch footballer (born 1999)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Victoria Pelova
| image = Victoria Pelova DSC08416 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Pelova with Ajax in 2021
| full_name = Victoria Pelova{{cite web |url=https://fdp.fifa.org/assetspublic/ce93/pdf/SquadLists-English.pdf |title=FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 – Squad List: Netherlands (NED) |publisher=FIFA |page=18 |date=11 July 2023 |access-date=11 July 2023 |archive-date=11 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230711021725/https://fdp.fifa.org/assetspublic/ce93/pdf/SquadLists-English.pdf |url-status=live }}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1999|6|3|df=y}}
| birth_place = Delft, Netherlands
| height = 1.63 m
| position = Midfielder
| currentclub = Arsenal
| clubnumber = 21
| youthyears1 = 2006–2016
| youthclubs1 = DSV Concordia
| years1 = 2016–2019
| clubs1 = ADO Den Haag
| caps1 = 67
| goals1 = 27
| years2 = 2019–2023
| clubs2 = Ajax
| caps2 = 64
| goals2 = 11
| years3 = 2023–
| clubs3 = Arsenal
| caps3 = 37
| goals3 = 4
| nationalyears1 = 2017–2018
| nationalteam1 = Netherlands U19
| nationalcaps1 = 15
| nationalgoals1 = 8
| nationalyears2 = 2018
| nationalteam2 = Netherlands U20
| nationalcaps2 = 6
| nationalgoals2 = 2
| nationalyears3 = 2018–
| nationalteam3 = Netherlands
| nationalcaps3 = 57
| nationalgoals3 = 4
| medaltemplates-expand = yes
| medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport|Women's football}}
{{Medal|Country|the {{NED}}}}
{{Medal|Competition|FIFA Women's World Cup}}
{{Medal|RU|2019 France|}}
| club-update = 15 April 2025
| nationalteam-update = 8 April 2025
}}
Victoria Pelova ({{IPA|nl|vɪkˈtoːrijaː peːˈloːvaː}}; born 3 June 1999) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Women's Super League club Arsenal{{Cite web |title=Victoria Pelova joins the club |url=https://www.arsenal.com/news/victoria-pelova-joins-club |access-date=6 January 2023 |website=Victoria Pelova joins the club |language=en}} and the Netherlands national team.{{Cite web |url=https://www.uefa.com/womensworldcup/teams/players/250107843--victoria-pelova/ |title=Women's World Cup – Victoria Pelova |last=uefa.com |website=UEFA |language=en |access-date=6 June 2019}}
Club career
Pelova started playing football for boys' youth teams in her birthplace Delft with DSV Concordia and was signed by Dutch Eredivisie club ADO Den Haag for the 2016–17 season. In her freshman season, she finished fourth with ADO, scoring seven goals as her team's second-best scorer. For the 2019–20 season, she moved to Ajax Amsterdam in the Eredivisie, where she received a three-year contract.{{Cite web |title=Officiële website AFC Ajax Amsterdam – Ajax.nl |url=https://www.ajax.nl/ |access-date=26 April 2023 |website=www.ajax.nl |language=nl-NL |archive-date=10 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211210000222/https://www.ajax.nl/ |url-status=live }} In the 2020–21 UEFA Women's Champions League she failed with Ajax in the sixteenth final at Bayern Munich, since both games were lost (3–1 and 3–0).
She lost in the last round with Ajax in 2022–23 UEFA Women's Champions League qualifying at Arsenal, who she joined in January 2023.{{Cite web |title=Pelova: "Arsenal was always my dream club" |url=https://www.arsenal.com/news/pelova-arsenal-was-always-my-dream-club |access-date=26 April 2023 |website=Pelova: "Arsenal was always my dream club" |language=en |archive-date=3 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203204459/https://www.arsenal.com/news/pelova-arsenal-was-always-my-dream-club |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Report: Arsenal Women 1–1 Chelsea |url=https://www.arsenal.com/fixture/women/2023-Jan-15/women-1-1-chelsea-women-match-report |access-date=26 April 2023 |website=Report: Arsenal Women 1–1 Chelsea |date=15 January 2023 |language=en |archive-date=29 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230129113839/https://www.arsenal.com/fixture/women/2023-Jan-15/women-1-1-chelsea-women-match-report |url-status=live }}
In June 2024, Pelova suffered an ACL rupture while on international duty.{{Cite web|url=https://www.arsenal.com/news/medical-update-victoria-pelova|title=Medical update: Victoria Pelova|date=12 June 2024|website=arsenal.com|access-date=12 June 2024|archive-date=12 June 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240612111753/https://www.arsenal.com/news/medical-update-victoria-pelova|url-status=live}}
On 12 February 2025, Pelova played her first minutes, following her ACL injury, for the Arsenal under 21s against Manchester United, and made it on the scoresheet.{{Cite web |last=Stillman |first=Tim |date=2025-02-12 |title=Victoria Pelova features for Arsenal U21s |url=https://arseblog.news/2025/02/victoria-pelova-features-for-arsenal-u21s/ |access-date=2025-02-14 |website=Arseblog News - the Arsenal news site |language=en-US}}
On 22 March 2025, 308 days after her last WSL match for Arsenal, Pelova came on as a substitute in the 74th minute of their 4-0 win over Liverpool.{{Cite web |date=2025-03-22 |title=Arsenal 4-0 Liverpool: 'I'm so happy Pelova is back' - Slegers |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c4g9kgyw5j8o.amp |access-date=2025-03-23 |website=BBC Sport |language=en-gb}}
International career
In April 2017, she qualified with the U-19 team for the 2017 Under-19 European Championship. In this she played two group games and in the 3–2 lost semi-final against Spain, where she scored the interim 1–1. In October 2017 and April 2018 she took part again with the U-19 team in the two qualifying rounds for the 2018 Under-19 European Championship.{{Cite web |title=Netherlands U19 vs. Spain U19 – 17 August 2017 – Women Soccerway |url=https://us.women.soccerway.com/matches/2017/08/17/europe/uefa-u19-championship-women/netherlands-under-19/spain-under-19/2473360/ |access-date=26 April 2023 |website=us.women.soccerway.com |archive-date=26 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230426034938/https://us.women.soccerway.com/matches/2017/08/17/europe/uefa-u19-championship-women/netherlands-under-19/spain-under-19/2473360/ |url-status=live }} She was then able to qualify with her team for the finals in Switzerland, but did not take part. Instead, she was part of the squad for the 2018 U-20 World Cup, which took place just days later, for which the Dutch had qualified for the first time as semi-finalists of the U-19 European Championship in 2017. There she featured in the three group games and the quarter-finals, lost 2–1 to England, where she gave her team a 1–0 lead.{{Cite web |date=25 February 2019 |title=FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup France 2018 - Netherlands |url=https://www.fifa.com/u20womensworldcup/teams/team/1888584/ |access-date=26 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190225061922/https://www.fifa.com/u20womensworldcup/teams/team/1888584/ |archive-date=25 February 2019}}{{Cite web |title=England U20 vs. Netherlands U20 – 17 August 2018 – Women Soccerway |url=https://int.women.soccerway.com/matches/2018/08/17/world/u20-womens-world-cup/england-under-20/netherlands-u20/2829787/ |access-date=26 April 2023 |website=Soccerway |archive-date=26 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230426034935/https://int.women.soccerway.com/matches/2018/08/17/world/u20-womens-world-cup/england-under-20/netherlands-u20/2829787/ |url-status=live }}
Already in January 2018 she had her first assignment in the senior national team. She came on as a substitute in the 81st minute of the 2–0 loss to Spain on 20 January.{{Cite web |title=Spanje – Nederland |url=https://www.onsoranje.nl/teams/207834/uitslagen/wedstrijd/30321 |access-date=26 April 2023 |website=www.onsoranje.nl}} Her second mission followed a year later. She came on as a second-half substitute in the 2–1 win over South Africa in Cape Town.{{Cite web |title=Zuid-Afrika – Nederland |url=https://www.onsoranje.nl/teams/207834/uitslagen/wedstrijd/31211 |access-date=26 April 2023 |website=www.onsoranje.nl |archive-date=23 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201123195944/https://www.onsoranje.nl/teams/207834/uitslagen/wedstrijd/31211 |url-status=live }} They met Spain again in the 2019 Algarve Cup, coming on as a substitute in the 58th minute and losing again 2–0.{{Cite web |title=Spanje – Nederland |url=https://www.onsoranje.nl/teams/207834/uitslagen/wedstrijd/31343 |access-date=26 April 2023 |website=www.onsoranje.nl |archive-date=26 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230426034939/https://www.onsoranje.nl/teams/207834/uitslagen/wedstrijd/31343 |url-status=live }}
After these three international matches, she was nominated as the youngest player for the Dutch World Cup squad.{{Cite web |title=Sarina Wiegman names Netherlands Women's World Cup squad {{!}} KNVB |url=https://www.knvb.com/news/knvb/womens-football/903/sarina-wiegman-names-netherlands-women%E2%80%99s-world-cup-squad |access-date=26 April 2023 |website=www.knvb.com |archive-date=26 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190626192648/https://www.knvb.com/news/knvb/womens-football/903/sarina-wiegman-names-netherlands-women%E2%80%99s-world-cup-squad |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |date=21 March 2019 |title=FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019™ - Netherlands |url=https://www.fifa.com/womensworldcup/teams/team/1884883/ |access-date=26 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190321024739/https://www.fifa.com/womensworldcup/teams/team/1884883/ |archive-date=21 March 2019}}{{Cite web |date=14 June 2019 |title=Pelova wil meer dan alleen ervaring opdoen |url=https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/sport/voetbal/artikel/4745976/pelova-wil-meer-dan-alleen-ervaring-opdoen |access-date=26 April 2023 |website=RTL Nieuws |language=nl |archive-date=10 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410073945/https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/sport/voetbal/artikel/4745976/pelova-wil-meer-dan-alleen-ervaring-opdoen |url-status=live }}
She was also nominated for the 2020 Olympics, which was postponed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web |title=Toernooidebutanten in Olympische selectie OranjeLeeuwinnen |url=https://www.onsoranje.nl/nieuws/nederlands-vrouwenelftal/79132/toernooidebutanten-olympische-selectie-oranjeleeuwinnen |access-date=26 April 2023 |website=www.onsoranje.nl |archive-date=23 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211223192252/https://www.onsoranje.nl/nieuws/nederlands-vrouwenelftal/79132/toernooidebutanten-olympische-selectie-oranjeleeuwinnen |url-status=live }} At the Olympics she scored her first international goal in the Netherlands opening match against Zambia.{{Cite web |url=https://www.onsoranje.nl/teams/207834/uitslagen/wedstrijd/333651 |title=Zambia - Nederland |website=www.onsoranje.nl |access-date=21 July 2021 |archive-date=21 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210721185602/https://www.onsoranje.nl/teams/207834/uitslagen/wedstrijd/333651 |url-status=live }} She came on as a substitute in the three group games and quarterfinals against USA. In the victories against Zambia (10–3) and China (8–2) she scored one goal each.
On 31 May, she was nominated for the European Championship finals.{{Cite web |title=Definitieve selectie OranjeLeeuwinnen voor EK in Engeland |url=https://www.onsoranje.nl/nieuws/nederlands-vrouwenelftal/80212/definitieve-selectie-oranjeleeuwinnen-voor-ek-engeland |access-date=26 April 2023 |website=www.onsoranje.nl |archive-date=9 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230109141232/https://www.onsoranje.nl/nieuws/nederlands-vrouwenelftal/80212/definitieve-selectie-oranjeleeuwinnen-voor-ek-engeland |url-status=live }} At the European Championship, she played in the three group games and in the quarter-finals, which they lost to France in extra time. In the group game against Switzerland, she scored the goal to make it 3–1 and gave the assist to make it 4–1.{{Cite web |title=Switzerland vs. Netherlands – 17 July 2022 – Women Soccerway |url=https://int.women.soccerway.com/matches/2022/07/17/europe/uefa-womens-championship/switzerland/netherlands/3693002/ |access-date=26 April 2023 |website=Soccerway |archive-date=29 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230129113839/https://int.women.soccerway.com/matches/2022/07/17/europe/uefa-womens-championship/switzerland/netherlands/3693002/ |url-status=live }}
On 30 June 2023, she was named as part of the Netherlands squad for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.{{Cite web |author1=Mark White |date=2023-06-05 |title=Netherlands Women's World Cup 2023 squad: 30-player preliminary team named |url=https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/netherlands-women-world-cup-2023-squad-team-roster-players-holland |access-date=2023-06-19 |website=fourfourtwo.com |language=en |archive-date=12 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230812013510/https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/netherlands-women-world-cup-2023-squad-team-roster-players-holland |url-status=live }}
Personal life
Pelova is of Bulgarian descent.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2022/jun/29/womens-euro-2022-your-complete-guide-to-all-368-players |title=Women's Euro 2022: your complete guide to all 368 players |first1=Marcus |last1=Christenson |first2=Steven |last2=Bloor |first3=Garry |last3=Blight |website=the Guardian}} She studies Applied Mathematics at Delft University of Technology.{{cite web |title=Highlight: Victoria Pelova |url=https://www.tudelft.nl/2018/x/topsport/highlight-victoria-pelova/ |work=TU Delft |access-date=19 June 2019 |archive-date=2 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190602083015/https://www.tudelft.nl/2018/x/topsport/highlight-victoria-pelova/ |url-status=live }} During her childhood, she excelled in several different sports including chess, snowboarding, and tennis.{{cite web |title=Delftse Post: Victoria Pelova |url=https://www.delftsepost.nl/nieuws/algemeen/637518/delfts-talent-pelova-hoopt-op-wk- |access-date=30 March 2020 |archive-date=6 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190506200011/https://www.delftsepost.nl/nieuws/algemeen/637518/delfts-talent-pelova-hoopt-op-wk- |url-status=dead}}{{Cite web |title=De Telegraaf: Duizendpoot op noppen |date=21 February 2021 |url=https://www.telegraaf.nl/sport/9560373/de-wondere-wereld-van-oranje-leeuwin-victoria-pelova |access-date=16 March 2021 |archive-date=12 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210312211452/https://www.telegraaf.nl/sport/9560373/de-wondere-wereld-van-oranje-leeuwin-victoria-pelova |url-status=live }}
Career statistics
= Club =
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition ! rowspan="2" |Club ! rowspan="2" |Season ! colspan="3" |League ! colspan="2" |National cup ! colspan="2" |League cup ! colspan="2" |UWCL ! colspan="2" |Total | |||||||||
| Division
!Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rowspan="4" |ADO Den Haag
|2016-17 | rowspan="3" |Eredivisie |26 |7 | colspan="2" rowspan="3" |— | colspan="2" rowspan="3" |— | colspan="2" rowspan="3" |— |26 |7 | |||||||||
| 2017-18
|24 |11 |24 |11 | |||||||||
| 2018-19
|17 |9 |17 |9 | |||||||||
| colspan="2" |Total
!67 !27 !0 !0 !0 !0 !0 !0 !67 !27 | |||||||||
| rowspan="5" |Ajax
|2019-20 | rowspan="4" |Eredivisie |12 |1 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— |12 |1 | |||||||||
| 2020-21
|20 |1 |2 |0 |5 |1 |2 |0 |29 |2 | |||||||||
| 2021-22
|24 |6 |4 |1 |2 |2 | colspan="2" |— |30 |9 | |||||||||
| 2022-23
|8 |3 |1 |0 |0 |0 |4 |1 |13 |4 | |||||||||
| colspan="2" |Total
!64 !11 !7 !1 !7 !3 !6 !1 !84 !16 | |||||||||
| rowspan="4" |Arsenal
| rowspan="3" |Women's Super League |12 |1 |2 |1 |3 |0 |4 |0 |21 |2 | |||||||||
| 2023–24
|22 |2 |2 |0 |6 |0 |2 |0 |32 |2 | |||||||||
| 2024–25
|3 |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |1 |0 |4 |1 | |||||||||
| colspan="2" |Total
!37 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 57 | 5 |
| colspan="3" |Career total
!168 | 42 | 11 | 2 | 16 | 3 | 13 | 1 | 208 | 48 |
= International =
{{updated|match played 8 April 2025}}{{Soccerway|459151}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year | |||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| rowspan="8" |Netherlands
|2018 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 12 | 2 | |
| 2022 | 15 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 16 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 2 | 0 | |
| colspan="2"|Total||57||4 |
:Scores and results list Netherlands' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Pelova goal.
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ List of international goals scored by Victoria Pelova | ||||||
| scope="col"|No.
!scope="col"|Date !scope="col"|Venue !scope="col"|Opponent !scope="col"|Score !scope="col"|Result !scope="col"|Competition | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align="center"|1 | 21 July 2021 | Miyagi Stadium, Rifu, Japan | {{fbw|ZAM}} | align="center"|10–1 | align="center"|10–3 | 2020 Summer Olympics |
| align="center"|2 | 27 July 2021 | Nissan Stadium, Yokohama, Japan | {{fbw|CHN}} | align="center"|7–2 | align="center"|8–2 | 2020 Summer Olympics |
| align="center"|3 | 17 July 2022 | Bramall Lane, Sheffield, England | {{fbw|SUI}} | align="center"|3–1 | align="center"|4–1 | UEFA Women's Euro 2022 |
| align="center"|4 | 3 July 2023 | Parkstad Limburg Stadion, Kerkrade, Netherlands | {{fbw|BEL}} | align="center"|4–0 | align="center"|5–0 | Friendly |
Honours
Ajax
- Eredivisie (women): 2022-23 {{Cite web |url=https://www.ajax.nl/artikelen/liveblog-pec-vrouwen-ajax-vrouwen/ |title=Liveblog titel Ajax Vrouwen | Ruime zege brengt schaal naar Amsterdam |website=www.ajax.nl}}
- KNVB Women's Cup: 2021–22{{Cite web |title=Netherlands – V. Pelova – Profile with news, career statistics and history |url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/victoria-pelova/459151/ |access-date=6 March 2023 |website=Soccerway |archive-date=5 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230205203950/https://int.soccerway.com/players/victoria-pelova/459151/ |url-status=live }}
- Eredivisie Cup: 2020–21
Arsenal
- FA Women's League Cup: 2022–23,{{cite web |last=Sanders |first=Emma |date=5 March 2023 |title=Arsenal 3–1 Chelsea: Gunners fight back to win Women's League Cup final |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/64826554 |access-date=6 March 2023 |website=BBC Sport |archive-date=14 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230514070056/https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/64826554 |url-status=live }} 2023–24{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Emma |date=31 March 2024 |title=Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea (AET): Stina Blackstenius secures League Cup glory in extra time |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68690506 |access-date=7 April 2024 |website=BBC Sport |archive-date=8 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240408050726/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68690506 |url-status=live }}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.onsoranje.nl/teams/207834/speler/22346 Senior national team profile] at Onsoranje.nl {{in lang|nl}}
- [https://www.onsoranje.nl/teams/327978/speler/22346 Under-20 national team profile] at Onsoranje.nl {{in lang|nl}}
- [https://www.onsoranje.nl/toernooien/4106/selectie/210484/speler/22346 Under-19 national team profile] at Onsoranje.nl {{in lang|nl}}
- {{Olympedia}}
- {{Olympics.com|victoria-pelova}}
- {{TeamNL|victoria-pelova|old_id=6849-victoria-pelova}}
{{Arsenal W.F.C. squad}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Netherlands squads
|bg = #F1771D
|fg = #FFFFFF
|bordercolor = #000000
|list1 =
{{Netherlands squad 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup}}
{{Netherlands women's football squad 2020 Summer Olympics}}
{{Netherlands squad UEFA Women's Euro 2022}}
{{Netherlands squad 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup}}
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pelova, Victoria}}
Category:Footballers from Delft
Category:Dutch women's footballers
Category:Dutch people of Bulgarian descent
Category:ADO Den Haag (women) players
Category:Eredivisie (women) players
Category:Netherlands women's youth international footballers
Category:Netherlands women's international footballers
Category:2019 FIFA Women's World Cup players
Category:Women's association football midfielders
Category:Footballers at the 2020 Summer Olympics
Category:Olympic footballers for the Netherlands
Category:AFC Ajax (women) players
Category:UEFA Women's Euro 2022 players
Category:Arsenal W.F.C. players
Category:Women's Super League players
Category:Dutch expatriate sportspeople in England
Category:Expatriate women's footballers in England
Category:Dutch expatriate women's footballers