Born in the town of Bedum in the province of Groningen, the Netherlands, Robben took to football from an early age. He began playing with local clubs C.V.V.B and V.V. Bedum. Robben became an adherent of the Coerver Method, created and popularised by Dutch football coach Wiel Coerver. Robben's skill in ball control and technical footwork made him a valuable player, and he was quickly signed by local club F.C. Groningen.

F.C. Groningen placed Robben in their C-class youth team for the 1999/2000 season. He scored 50 goals in their competitions. Manager Jan Van Dijk added the winger to the first team before Groningen's November 2000 away game against F.C. Twente, but he did not play until December 3, 2000 against RKC Waalwijk, as a substitute for the injured Leonardo dos Santos in the 79th minute. Over the winter, Robben managed to play himself into the starting lineup. In 18 starts for Groningen over the 2000-01 season, he scored 2 goals. Robben was named player of the year for his first season with the club, and with teammate Jordi Hoogstrate, he demonstrated the strength of the Groningen youth academy. Robben stayed with Groningen and improved steadily during the 2001-02 season, playing in 28 matches and scoring 6 goals. Robben transferred to PSV Eindhoven for €3.9 million before the 2002-03 season.

During his first season for PSV Eindhoven, the 2002-03 season, Robben played 33 matches and scored 12 goals. He was named "PSV co-player of the year" along with striker Mateja Kežman, with whom he formed an attacking partnership still fondly referred to by PSV fans as "Batman And Robben", as Kezman was nicknamed 'Batman'. He helped lead PSV to their 17th Dutch title, and won the Talented Player of the Year award.

After this good start, PSV could not keep up with rival Ajax Amsterdam and were forced into a fight for second place in the Eredivisie. Robben travelled to London and met with Manchester United coach Alex Ferguson. Ferguson's offer came in much too low for PSV's and/or Robben's liking; Eindhoven chairman Harry van Raaij told Manchester United the most that their €7 million offer would buy them was a shirt with Robben's autograph. Almost immediately, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich offere € 18 million (£ 12.1 million), and PSV accepted.The rest of his season with PSV was disappointing. He injured his hamstring twice and missed several games. By the end of the season, Robben scored five times in 23 Eredivisie matches.

Robben celebrates winning the 2004-05 Premiership.Robben did not make his competitive debut for Chelsea F.C. until November 2004, as he was injured in a pre-season friendly match against A.S. Roma, breaking a metatarsal bone in his right foot in a challenge from Olivier Dacourt. Robben missed many games due to injury in 2004-05, managing to play in only 18 games, the fewest of his professional career since his debut in 2000-01 with F.C. Groningen. On his return from injury, he received the "Barclays Man of the Match" award for his outstanding display at home to Everton and scored goals in consecutive games against CSKA Moscow, Everton, Newcastle and Fulham. The 2004-05 season had some highlights for Robben; in November 2004, he was awarded the "Player of the Month" award for the English Premier League. Robben ended the 2004-05 season with seven goals, his second highest professional total. He was shortlisted for the PFA Young Player of the Year, but was beaten by Wayne Rooney of Manchester United. His early Chelsea career was punctuated by dazzling displays as one of few "out and out" wingers in the English game. His instant development of a quick and fluid front three with Ivorian centre-forward Didier Drogba and Irish winger Damien Duff was perhaps the most prevalent consequence of Robben's arrival. However, Robben was badly injured in a league game away to Blackburn Rovers and forced to sit out Chelsea's title run-in and progress to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League.

Back to fitness for 2005-06, Robben was an integral part of the Chelsea left wing. In 28 matches, Robben contributed 6 goals as Chelsea won a second consecutive FA Premier League championship, the first back-to-back titles for the west London club.

The 2005-06 season also saw Robben receive the first two red cards of his career in the two matches against Sunderland and West Brom. He was also involved in an unsavoury incident with Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina. Towards the end of a league game between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge, which Chelsea won 2-0, Reina raised his hand to Robben's face after some provocative words from Robben, directly following an earlier incident in which Reina committed a foul on Eidur Gudjohnsen. Robben fell theatrically to the turf, and Reina received a red card for "violent behaviour". As a result of the incident, Robben was branded a play-actor by various sections of the media, and Reina commented that Robben "did well enough to win an Oscar" for his theatrics. Reina's red card was not rescinded, however.

After the Fifa World Cup 2006, Robben returned to a new look Chelsea squad. With the arrivals of Andriy Shevchenko, Michael Ballack and Ashley Cole, Chelsea manager José Mourinho has largely shelved the 4-3-3 formation with two wingers that he has used over the past two seasons and instead begun using a 4-1-3-2 formation, with midfielders Frank Lampard and Michael Essien on the flanks instead of specialist wingers like Robben. This saw the Dutch winger have a struggling time to get a position in Chelsea starting lineup at the beginning of the season.

In November 2006, Mourinho started to give Robben more playing opportunities, either as a withdrawn forward, playing off a lone target man, or as a winger, when reverting to the tried and tested 4-3-3. After the absence of Joe Cole due to knee injury, Robben was then recognised as an important player for Chelsea with his ability to bring the ball down the flanks at speed essential in a team not especially endowed with great dribblers. He was named man of the Match on December 23, 2006 against Wigan, a match where he got two assists and the winning goal in. He was then sidelined for a few weeks after accumulating too many yellow cards.

In January 2007, Robben returned yet again against Wigan and with an assist and a goal to his credit Robben was again named Man of the Match. Robben was inflicted with yet another injury in a match against Liverpool F.C. dated January 20, 2007. Robben made his return in a 3-0 victory against Middlesbrough F.C. in February driving in a shot that took a deflection past Mark Schwarzer for an own goal by Abel Xavier. Robben also came on as a substitute against FC Porto making his presence felt immediately after sending in a cross that led to an equaliser scored by Andriy Shevchenko. Robben came on in the 2nd half of the Carling Cup final and provided the cross for Didier Drogba to head in the winner and he also scored a crucial goal in the 2nd leg of the 2006-07 UEFA Champions League against Porto, which led to Chelsea winning the tie 3-2 on aggregate.

At the end of March 2007, Robben underwent a knee operation after sustaining a knee injury upon returning from international duty that was expected to rule him out for at least four weeks. However, it was recently announced by the club that Robben had been back to training, despite his not being fully fit and will not miss the rest of the season. Robben made his return in a 2006-07 UEFA Champions League semi final encounter against Liverpool F.C.. Robben played a brief role in the FA Cup final against Manchester United on May 19, which Chelsea won. After the final, Robben cleared up speculation on his future at the club in an interview: "I've always said I want to stay. I will be here next season, that's for sure". Then, on August 4, Spanish media reported that Real Madrid was close to signing Robben and/or his Chelsea teammate Michael Ballack. Madrid coach Bernd Schuster told Spanish radio, "Hopefully, we'll be able to announce the signing of one or two big players soon." Schuster is said to have demanded Ballack, while Madrid's president, Ramon Calderon, is known to favor Robben. Robben has said to reporters of spanish newspaper AS: "Sure, I'm happy about the interest of Real Madrid, but now I can't say more until both clubs reach an agreement because Chelsea doesn't allow me to speak. My father is working on it. I wish I could say something to Real Madrid fans, but I can't until my future is sorted out".

Robben completed his move to Real Madrid on a five-year deal on 22 August 2007, with the transfer fee reported as €36 million, or £24.5 million. He became the fifth most expensive signing in Real Madrid's history, after Zidane, Figo , Ronaldo,Beckham .