ON THE
PITCH
Lára Kristín Pedersen has built a rich and varied football career. She began her senior journey at Afturelding (2009–13) before starring for Stjarnan (2014–18), and over stints at Þór/KA and KR Reykjavík she showcased her consistency in Iceland’s top-flight . Seeking international challenges, Pedersen joined Napoli in Serie A in early 2021, participated in European competition with Valur in the Champions League, then moved to Fortuna Sittard in the Dutch Eredivisie for the 2023–24 season where she became a regular midfield presence. In mid‑2024 she transferred to Club YLA, making an immediate impact by scoring a crucial equalizer on debut and signing a two-year deal. On the international stage, Pedersen has represented Iceland at youth levels and earned senior caps since 2015, including appearances at the Algarve Cup and Nations League. Her progression across top European leagues reflects her leadership, tactical intelligence, and midfield tenacity qualities that continue to define her career today.
Who I Am, Where I Came From, and Where I Am Headed.
Lára Kristín Pedersen was born in 1994 and is from the capital area in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Along with focusing on her daily recovery from food addiction, Lára plays soccer professionally for Club Brugge in Belgium while also pursuing a Master's degree in Addiction Studies at King's College London. Lára has also worked as a counsellor at a psychiatric ward, taught Icelandic and social studies at the youth level, driven a Taxi and worked with individuals experiencing severe substance use and homelessness in Iceland.
She is also a certified Food Addiction Counsellor from the INFACT School.
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Lára Kristín
Pedersen
Being in the Soil
Lára Kristín Pedersen isn’t just a talented midfielder off the pitch, she’s been remarkably candid and proactive about her personal journey. During college at St. John’s University, she revealed ambitions of pursuing sports psychology and shared a love for travel, movies, and spending time with friends. In 2019, she openly discussed her long-term struggle with food addiction in a radio interview, breaking stigmas around mental health in sport. That honesty culminated in her 2022 memoir, Veran í moldinni (“Being in the soil”), in which she chronicles her obsessive relationship with food beginning at age 12, confronts misdiagnoses, and details navigating a 12-step recovery program framing food addiction as akin to substance dependence and advocating for medical recognition and destigmatization. Through her writing and openness, Lára aims to raise awareness, change perceptions about addiction, and support others facing similar battles beyond the football field.
