Soccer Over Dance: The Journey of Tessa Wullaert from Early Dreams

Tessa Wullaert’s journey is a fascinating tale of determination and transformation. Once a girl who never envisioned a future in football, she initially dreamed of becoming a dancer. However, her path took a remarkable turn, leading her to become one of Belgium’s most celebrated female footballers.

A Striker’s Journey: Tessa Wullaert's Evolution from a Young Girl to a Football Star

A Striker’s Journey: Tessa Wullaert’s Evolution from a Young Girl to a Football Star

In this biography, we’ll delve into Tessa’s life, exploring the challenges she faced as she struggled to balance her education and passion for sports. When she found it increasingly difficult to juggle both, Tessa made the tough decision to pause her football career to focus on her studies. But after graduating, she quickly returned to the pitch, reigniting her passion for the game.

The dancer-turned-footballer (Tessa Wullaert) with her father and team members.

The dancer-turned-footballer (Tessa Wullaert) with her father and team members.

Today, Tessa Wullaert is a well-known Belgian athlete, playing as a striker for Fortuna Sittard and the national team. Her impressive career is marked by numerous accolades that honour her contributions to both her country and her clubs.

Tessa’s story goes beyond her skills on the field; it’s a rich biography that encompasses her childhood, early life, and family background. You’ll learn about her supportive parents, Franky Wullaert and Joke Derweduwen, her relationship with her boyfriend, Mathias Deveugele, and her brother, Jarne Wullaert.

We hope this glimpse into Tessa Wullaert’s life whets your appetite for her story. Join us as we present a gallery that captures the essence of her rise to fame and the incredible journey she has undertaken. Indeed, Tessa Wullaert has come a long way, and her story is truly inspiring.

Tessa Wullaert Biography - From her early career to the moment she became famous.

Tessa Wullaert Biography – From her early career to the moment she became famous.

Tessa Wullaert Childhood Story:

For Biography starters, the athlete bears the Full Name, Tessa Wullaert. The striker was born on the 19th day of March 1993 to her Mother and Father in Tielt, Belgium.

Tessa Wullaert arrived as one of two children born to her parents. All children are a product of the marriage between their father and mother. However, she has a foster brother, Briam.

Now, let’s introduce you to Tessa Wullaert’s Parents. Persons who never gave their daughter the riches of the world but gave her the support and motivation she needed to progress.

Meet Tessa Wullaert's Parents. Her Father's name is Franky Wullaert and Her Mum is Joke Derweduwen.

Meet Tessa Wullaert’s Parents. Her Father’s name is Franky Wullaert and Her Mum is Joke Derweduwen.

Growing-Up Years:

Tessa Wullaert grew up alongside her two siblings, Jarne and her foster brother Bram.

The ex-Manchester City player and her brother were born into a sporting family. However, the player and her brother played soccer in their family garden.

According to her dad, Tessa didn’t enjoy it when her brother passed her when playing in the garden. They occasionally argued over things, but they generally got along well.

Tessa Wullaert Early Life:

The Ex-Anderlecht player’s first encounter with football came when she was barely five years old. Back then, her parents enrolled her in a dancing class because of the ways female football was treated in Belgium.

Franky and Joke thought dancing would change Tessa’s mind, but she was determined.  She kept playing soccer with the boys in her class on the playground.

Outside of football, she played Tennis. Eventually, her mum and dad decided to register her in a football club. It was after one of her team members informed them that another girl was playing on their team.

According to her parents, registering their daughter at that time was one of the best decisions they had ever made. See the photo of the baller and her childhood team below.

Meet Tessa Wullaert and her team during her early career years.

Meet Tessa Wullaert and her team during her early career years.

Tessa Wullaert Family Background:

For starters, the Striker comes from a sporty family. Based on research, most of Tessa Wullaert’s family (her mum, father, and grandfather) were former footballers.

Interestingly, her grandfather ( from her mum’s side) coached her dad’s football team. Also, her father, Franky, met her mother, Joke, through her father. See her complete family photo below.

Here, Tessa Wullaert’s family members pose for the camera during her award collection celebrations.

Here, Tessa Wullaert’s family members pose for the camera during her award collection celebrations.

It’s vital to note that the Belgian professional player and her siblings are fortunate to have understanding parents. As the head of his household, Franky Wullaert takes good care of his home. In all instances, the Striker appears to be from a middle-class family.

Regarding her Mum’s occupation, Joke Derweduwen worked as a professional nurse for 32 years. Franky, her father, worked as a representative and a bus driver at the De Meibloem. From their income, they were able to take proper care of their kids.

Tessa Wullaert Family Life:

Families are the compass that guides us. They serve as our source of greatness and consolation in times of difficulty. There is nothing as special as having a close-knit person who takes an interest in one another. This is Tessa Wullaert’s family in a nutshell.

About Tessa Wullaert’s Father:

As a father of a footballer, your duty is to provide support and guidance to your child. However, Franky Wullaert never received criticism for performing his duties in the daughter’s life. First, as her first coach and teacher, he assisted her in pursuing her love of football.

Meet the proud father of the creative striker, Franky Wullaert.

Meet the proud father of the creative striker, Franky Wullaert.

Franky Wullart had a football career and deposited the virus into his children, especially Tessa. Also, he makes an effort to attend his child’s games and practices whenever possible. As a father, he manages his schedule, ensuring she balances her football and schoolwork.

He was a good father who supported and provided for his family by working as a bus driver at De Meibloem. Franky and Joke broke down multiple vehicles to transport their daughter to the numerous practice sessions and contests.

About Tessa Wullaert’s Mother:

Being a mother of talented kids is not an easy job. Joke Derweduwen is the mother of the known striker, Tessa Wullaert. She was a supportive mother to her kids and husband.

Behold the proud mother of Tessa Wullaert, Joke Derweduwen.

Behold the proud mother of Tessa Wullaert, Joke Derweduwen.

According to Joke, she started working part-time to be able to provide transport and care for the children. Before then, she worked as a nurse for more than 32 years to support her husband in taking care of the home.

About Tessa Wullaert Siblings:

Sibling relationships are the most enduring and meaningful relationships we have in our lives. Tessa Wullaert and her siblings have a very close relationship. The baller has two brothers, Jarne Wullaert and her foster brother, Bram Wullaert.

Based on our research, we have little or no information on Jarne. However, we gather he is also a footballer like his sister Jesse. As for Bram, he also inherited his sister’s and brother’s love of football.

About Tessa Wullaert Grandparents:

Although no documentation exists about them, one thing is sure. The fact that her grandparents are one of Wullaert’s biggest fans. Tessa’s grandmother keeps records and scrapbooks of all the articles she appears on. Also, during her early career, her granddad always helped her race her trainers.

Tessa Wullaert Family Origin:

For starters, the Fortuna Sittard striker holds Belgium nationality. Regarding where Tessa Wullaert’s family comes from (in Belgium), our research points to Tielt, Belgium, where her birth took place. See the map below that will help you understand where the baller comes from.

This map helps you understand Tielt, Belgium, where the Forward comes from.

This map helps you understand Tielt, Belgium, where the Forward comes from.

Tielt is a small Belgian city in the country’s West Flanders region. It is located approximately 25 km southeast of the city of Bruges and has a population of about 20,000. In general, the city is an ancient city that provides a rich culture and tradition of Belgium’s Flanders area.

Tessa Wullaert Ethnicity:

Following our research, we could trace the ex-Zulte Waregem net buster to Tielt, Belgium. Tielt is a small city in the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders in Belgium. As such, the majority of the people in Tielt are likely to be ethnic Flemish.

Also, they speak Dutch as their first language. However, like many cities in Belgium, Tielt has a diverse population. In addition, the city is home to people from a variety of races, ethnic backgrounds and nationalities.

Tessa Wullaert Education:

Based on research, the attacker had her elementary education in her hometown. Because her liking for football started at the age of five in primary school. When Tessa was sixteen, her parents enrolled her in the top sports school in Belgium.

It was not easy for her during her days in the sports school. She kept missing classes because of her training.

At some point, it was difficult for the director of the college to understand Tessa’s excuses for being absent from school.

At a certain point, the athlete found it challenging to juggle football and education. Her parents had made it a requirement that she must earn her diploma.

Wullaert, at that time, combined her football career with her studies at the Vives in Kortrijk. After her graduation, the baller got three offers from abroad.

Career Buildup:

The goal scorer started kicking a ball around her neighbourhood at the age of five.

According to the baller, she remembered her granddad helping her lace her trainer while sitting on the table. She also used to dance, but she saw herself enjoying football more.

In her earlier career, she did not see herself playing professionally. It was always fun for her, and playing with other children made her happy.

The youngster started with the boys’ team. However, she had a girl in her team, and with her, she never felt alone.

During her interview, the striker said that,

My mother told me about the remarks she overheard from other parents on the sidelines when I was 15. They would remark things like,

Why is my son sitting out for a girl to play?

Women’s soccer has no future.” But we had a strong team. It was somewhat bizarre that I was chosen for the level immediately below the national teams, along with the boys. I only wanted to play, give my all, and be my best.

Tessa Wullaert Biography – Football Story:

The striker first played with boys’ teams near her home, KFC Wakken. Initially, her mum thought it was a bit weird for her to play football because of how Belgium treats female footballers. Interestingly, Joke, her mum, has always been into football herself.

Tessa’s first coach at the Devils of KFC Wakken, Geert Van de Walle, consistently predicted her success. He still recalls Tessa’s temper as a little child when she wasn’t allowed to play. He continues to pay great attention to her performance even now.

In addition to her first club, KFC Wakken, near her home, she has played in Ingelmunster and Harelbeke.

Road to Fame Story:

At 15, Tessa left the boys’ team and switched to the women’s game. She went directly into the first team at Zulte Waregem. Everything moved fast with her new team. A few years later, she received her first call-up to the Belgian national A team at 17.

The poacher started playing for Anderlecht when she was still in high school. Her parents always drove her to games until she got her driver’s licence. At 20, she signed for Standard Liege, and it was a great period for me.

In her second season with the club, she won the Player of the Season in the BeNe League. In simple terms, she was the best player in both Belgium and the Netherlands. Also, she was the top scorer the year after that, at the age of 21.

A month after graduating, she accepted an offer to play for VfL Wolfsburg. It was not an easy ride for her. At first, It was challenging to enter the elite level right away. Up until that point, she had never found herself on the bench before.

Also, she was up against a lot of outstanding players. According to Tessa Wullaert, she constantly cried because it was the first time she was far from home. However, that move shaped her into who she is, as she has always dreamed of playing in Germany.

Tessa Wullaert Manchester City Journey:

Initially, the striker only wanted to play for Wolfsburg. But after three years there and many titles won, she made the decision to pursue a new challenge in England. Wullaert knew she wanted to go to Manchester City.

The club is among the few big clubs with a winning mentality. In June 2018, Wullaert joined Manchester City in the English FA WSL. During her debut season with the team, the forward won the FA Cup and League Cup twice.

After two seasons with the club, she announced her departure. This was after rejecting the renewal of her contract with Manchester United.

Tessa Wullaert Bio – Rise to Fame Story:

In 2020, Wullaert moved to Belgium to be closer to her family and boyfriend. She had a contract with Anderlecht then, making her the first professional female football player in Belgium. The striker has won many awards in her career journey. Below are a few collections of her trophies.

Collections of Tessa Wullaert's Awards.

Collections of Tessa Wullaert’s Awards.

After spending two years with the Anderlecht club in Belgium, she moved to another club. Wullaert came to an arrangement with newcomers to the Dutch Eredivisie Fortuna Sittard across the border from Belgium. At the time of writing, Tessa plies her trade with Inter Milan, where she is known for her Goal, Charisma and Winning mentality.

International Career:

Even as a teenager, Tessa has excelled as a wonderful representative of Belgium abroad. She has successfully represented her native Belgium in a variety of positions. Starting with the Under-15 team and moving through to the Under-17 and Under-19 teams.

In 2011, she joined the national senior team and made her debut the same year. However, her performance with the Belgium National Senior Women’s Team has a total of 71 international appearances.

In addition, the striker set a new record for the highest goal scorer for the Belgium team. She has scored 39 goals, breaking Aline Zeler’s previous history. On a personal level, Tessa won the Belgian Golden Shoe championship in 2016 and 2018, respectively.a

She was also selected as the Belgian Professional Footballer of the Year for 2021–2022. In addition, she made the Euro 2022 Belgian squad list alongside 16 other countries. The rest of our Biography, as they say, is now history.

Tessa Wullaert Love Life:

This lovely young striker is committed to a serious relationship with her boyfriend. Tessa Wullaert and her lover, Mathias Deveugele, met in Carré. Since they met in 2015, they have been happy together even though they practised a distance relationship for years.

Meet Tessa Wullaert's boyfriend, Mathias Deveugele.

Meet Tessa Wullaert’s boyfriend, Mathias Deveugele.

Mathias Deveugele, Tessa Wullaert’s partner, plays football as well. He also played for Racing Waregem, the first provincial team for the West Flemish. Moreover, Mathias is an account manager for @ceos4climate and a co-founder of @grlpwr.by.tw.

The couple has been together for a long time, and their love is still as strong as ever. In spite of this, there haven’t been any reports of the couple fighting or openly separating. Fans can’t wait to watch what happens when these two get married.

Personal Life:

Away from the wonders that the Belgian professional footballer from Tielt does on the pitch, many have asked…

WHO IS TESSA WULLAERT?

Tessa Wullaert is an outgoing extrovert who values having fun in relationships. Also, the striker is perpetually upbeat, enthusiastic, lively, and witty. Fortunately, she has a partner who shares her open-mindedness and complements her expressive character.

Again, off the pitch, Tessa is the partying type. The athlete takes pleasure in hanging out at clubs in her leisure time to keep her body and soul fit. Despite being incredibly skilled, she is also very sweet and humble.

She loves being with her dogs or her family during her rough days. According to the baller, her family shows her there’s more to life than just football. Also, she loves being happy because she sees happiness as the key to many things.

Lifestyle:

The striker adores spending time by the ocean. That is the most effective treatment for her heart needs when football is on break. Tessa Wullaert regularly posts stunning images on her Instagram profile about her sunny vacation at the beach. See the photos below.

Tessa Wullaert’s love for the seaside- EXPLAINED.

Tessa Wullaert’s love for the seaside- EXPLAINED.

Tessa Wullaert Cars:

The Standard Liege Forward and her car sets appear to go together. These fascinating wheels have various colours, which is how she likes them. Despite not being as addictive as Neymar. She shares Theo Hernandez‘s love of automobiles. Check out some of her auto collections.

Collections of Tessa Wullaert cars.

Collections of Tessa Wullaert cars.

Tessa Wullaert Holiday:

During her free time, she often reads books, chills watches TV series or plays PlayStation. Holidays for her are normally to relax. She usually engaged in a holiday where we didn’t have to look after anything. Also, the striker goes and discovers other countries.

Untold Facts:

In the concluding section of Tessa Wullaert’s biography, we’ll unveil further information you might not know about her. So, without further ado, let’s begin.

Tessa Wullaert FIFA:

Just like Romelu Lukaku and Christian Benteke follow strikers from Belgium, Tessa has an impressive career. Wullaert is known for her physical strength, speed, and excellent finishing abilities. Here is a view of Tessa Wullaert’s Sofifa stats which is similar to that of Sandy Baltimore.

Finishing, sprint speed, ball control, Agility, positioning, etc., are her valuable assets.

Finishing, sprint speed, ball control, Agility, positioning, etc., are her valuable assets.

Tessa Wullaert Tattoos:

The baller inked different tattoos on her body. She has one on the right side, “A Q with a heart.” Also, she inked a bee with ‘yourself’ next to it. In clear terms, it is combined to “be yourself.”  According to her, staying true to yourself is crucial despite preconceptions.

Tessa Wullaert tattoos - Explained

Tessa Wullaert tattoos – Explained

Tessa Wullaert Religion:

The Belgium professional striker has not left any clue regarding her affiliation with any religious group. Like the case with Mallory Swanson, our odds are in favour of Tessa Wullaert’s religion being Christianity.

Tessa Wullaert’s love for Dogs:

The athlete and her boyfriend are lovers of pets, dog pets specifically. The couple constantly shares photos with their dogs on their Instagram. She always celebrates the dogs’ birthdays and their fun time together.

Meet Wullaert, her love interest, Mathias Deveugele, and their dog during their fun time.

Meet Wullaert, her love interest, Mathias Deveugele, and their dog during their fun time.

Tessa Wullaert Book:

In addition to being the top scorer, she is also now a writer. The former Anderlecht player, Tessa Wullaert, gave a presentation at Lotto Park for her new book, “Women’s Football.” She especially hopes that it will encourage young ladies to follow their dreams.

Meet Tessa Wullaert with author Pieter-Jan Calcoen, who is showcasing her book.

Meet Tessa Wullaert with author Pieter-Jan Calcoen, who is showcasing her book.

The book has a double approach. On the one hand, the history of women’s football, which had quite a bumpy course, is discussed. On the other side, Tessa Wullaert has made a contribution to encouraging female football players.

The book employs two strategies. The turbulent nature of the past of women’s football is discussed. Tessa Wullaert, on the other hand, has made an effort to support female football players in the other section of her book.

EndNote:

The athlete’s full name is Tessa Wullaert. She was born to her Mother (Joke Derweduwen) and Father (Franky Wullaert) in Tielt, Belgium, on March 19, 1993. Tessa is one of two children born to her parents. Each child is a product of the marriage between their father and mother.

Wullaert has two siblings – Jarne Wullaert and her foster brother, Bram Wullaert. Our research shows that Tessa and her siblings got the football virus from their dad. Regarding her roots, the former Anderlecht player is from Tielt.

The city is a small city in the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders in Belgium. As such, the majority of the people in Tielt are likely to be ethnic Flemish. Based on research, the net burster had her elementary education in her hometown. Also, she got her diploma at the Vives in Kortrijk.

Wullaert represents her country internationally and serves as a role model to upcoming players. However, the ex-FC Wakken started playing at a very young age. Also, she played on the street and in the park with her younger brothers.

Since the beginning of her career, Tessa Wullaer’s journey has taken her to Zulte Waregem, Anderlecht, Standard Liège, VfL Wolfsburg, Manchester City, etc. As I conclude this Bio, she plays as a striker for a club, Fortuna Sittard, based in Sittard, Netherlands.

Appreciation Note:

Thank you for taking the time to read our version of Tessa Wullaert’s Biography. Aside from Tessa Wullaert’s Bio, we’ve got other great Childhood Stories for your reading pleasure. In fact, the life histories of Lauren James (Chelsea’s Reece James‘ Sister) and Lea Schuller will interest you.

We care about accuracy and fairness in the constant routine of delivering European Soccer stories. Tessa Wullaert Bio is part of our collection of Women Football Players.

Kindly contact us via comments if you notice anything that doesn’t look right in this memoir of the Fortuna Sittard Goal Machine. Also, please tell us what you think about the career of the Prolific Striker and the impressive article we’ve made about her.

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