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One of the heroines of today's story was born in the Netherlands. As a child, she looked up to Robin van Persie and looked forward to her dad taking her and her brother to Feyenoord matches, which little Vivianne always enjoyed. At the age of five, she started playing on a boys' team, and her first memory is of knocking out her teeth during training. In her own words, she didn't have much choice, as her father is a passionate footballer.
At the age of fifteen, when it was no longer possible to play with the boys, she made her first start for the senior national team for Heerenveen. In 69 games, she scored an incredible 78 goals, and it was clear that the tall Dutch striker was a generational talent made for big clubs. By the time she left the Frisian club, she was already a national team player.
The second heroine of our story was born in England. Her mother originally wanted her to take up ballet, but she found her way to football, which she called her first love. And her first love probably led her to her true love.
Beth and Viv met at Arsenal. It probably wasn't love at first sight, as both had partners and relationships at the time. However, Viv had already contributed greatly to the visibility of queer people in the spotlight when, in response to a reporter's question about whether her partner was more of a bad boy or an ideal son-in-law, she replied that he was not an ideal son-in-law, but an ideal daughter-in-law.
Vivianne Miedema and Beth Mead have been a couple since 2022, and thanks to their openness, they are among the most visible and well-known queer icons not only in women's football but also in women's sports in general.
Their story was further strengthened by the nightmare of all footballers, torn ACLs, which they both experienced in 2023. At that time, Arsenal, for whom both played, was hit by an ACL epidemic that took four key players - Beth and Vivianne, as well as Leah Williamson and Laura Wienroiter. Arsenal even made a documentary about their journey back to the pitch called Step by Step.
The year 2023 is generally difficult for Beth, as in addition to her serious injury, her mother has passed away. Perhaps this has strengthened her relationship with Viv, who has been her rock throughout. Soon, their family expanded to include a cocker spaniel puppy named Myle, who even has her own Instagram account.
In 2024, after seven years, Viv moved from Arsenal to Manchester City, where she still plays today, and she and her partner often compete against each other not only at the international level, but also at the club level. Both are great supporters of their national teams and, like Magda Eriksson and Pernille Herder, Beth and Viv have played against each other several times with their national teams. However, in their own words, they are both very competitive and their work life does not affect their private life.Â
