The 100 Best Female Footballers In The World

The 100 Best Female Footballers In The World is an annual global ranking of the best female footballers. The list was started by The Offside Rule podcast in 2016. Since 2018 it has also been published in association with the British newspaper The Guardian who have published the male equivalent since its inception in 2012.

The list is voted for by a panel of experts ranging from players and coaches to journalists and broadcasters from around the world. Judges are sent a longlist of 450 footballers and asked to rank their top 40 who are given a corresponding points value. The total across all judges determines the finish position. In 2019, the panel consisted of 93 judges from 44 countries across five continents including newly-appointed USWNT and reigning NWSL champion head coach Vlatko Andonovski, and FIFA Female Player of the Century and legendary China international Sun Wen.[1]

Winners

Number of wins in brackets.

Year Player Club(s)
2016[2] Ada Hegerberg Lyon
2017[3] Lieke Martens Rosengård / Barcelona
2018[4] Pernille Harder Wolfsburg
2019[5] Sam Kerr Perth Glory / Chicago Red Stars
2020[6] Pernille Harder (2) Wolfsburg / Chelsea
2021[7] Alexia Putellas Barcelona

Top 10

As of 2021, 27 individual players have been included in the "Top 10" of the Top 100 list.

Rank Player Years Peak Club(s) Apps
1 Lucy Bronze 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 2 Manchester City, Lyon 5
Pernille Harder 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 1 Wolfsburg, Chelsea
Sam Kerr 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 1 Perth Glory, Sky Blue FC, Chicago Red Stars, Chelsea
Wendie Renard 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 4 Lyon
5 Ada Hegerberg 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 1 Lyon 4
Vivianne Miedema 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021 2 Arsenal
7 Amandine Henry 2018, 2019, 2020 5 Lyon 3
Dzsenifer Marozsán 2016, 2017, 2020 5 Frankfurt, Lyon
Lieke Martens 2017, 2018, 2021 1 Rosengård, Barcelona
10 Caroline Graham Hansen 2020, 2021 4 Barcelona 2
Eugénie Le Sommer 2018, 2019 5 Lyon
Marta 2016, 2017 2 Rosengård, Orlando Pride
Alex Morgan 2017, 2018 7 Lyon, Orlando Pride
Megan Rapinoe 2018, 2019 3 Seattle Reign
15 Melanie Behringer 2016 3 Bayern Munich 1
Aitana Bonmatí 2021 10 Barcelona
Delphine Cascarino 2020 10 Lyon
Julie Ertz 2020 9 Chicago Red Stars
Tobin Heath 2016 9 Portland Thorns
Jennifer Hermoso 2021 6 Barcelona
Fran Kirby 2021 7 Chelsea
Rose Lavelle 2019 7 Washington Spirit
Kim Little 2016 4 Arsenal
Carli Lloyd 2016 7 Houston Dash
Irene Paredes 2021 8 PSG, Barcelona
Alexia Putellas 2021 1 Barcelona
Christine Sinclair 2016 6 Portland Thorns

Overall

By nationality

As of the 2021 edition, players from 35 nations have made up the Top 100. The United States has been the most represented nation in total (93) with a record 19 individuals in 2019. In 2020, Germany became the first nation other than the United States to be the most represented. Zambia is the most recent nation to debut following Barbra Banda's inclusion in 2021.

Nationality is defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Rank Nation 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Total
1 United States 16 18 16 19 9 15 93
2 England 14 11 11 10 10 10 66
3 France 12 6 9 10 10 12 59
4 Germany 10 7 11 7 13 10 58
5 Sweden 8 2 5 9 8 9 41
6 Netherlands 4 9 6 6 8 4 37
7 Spain 3 4 4 7 8 10 36
8 Australia 6 8 5 2 3 2 26
9 Brazil 3 5 4 5 4 2 23
10 Norway 3 4 4 5 4 1 21
11 Canada 3 4 2 2 3 6 20
12 Japan 4 3 4 4 2 2 19
13 Denmark 2 4 3 1 2 1 13
14 Scotland 3 0 1 2 3 2 11
15 Switzerland 1 2 3 0 1 1 8
16 South Korea 1 1 1 1 1 1 6
17 Iceland 1 1 1 1 1 0 5
Italy 0 0 0 1 2 2
Malawi 1 1 1 1 1 0
Nigeria 0 1 1 1 1 1
Poland 0 0 1 1 1 2
22 Austria 0 3 0 0 0 1 4
Chile 0 0 1 1 1 1
Portugal 1 1 1 1 0 0
Venezuela 1 1 1 0 0 1
Wales 1 1 1 0 0 1
27 Belgium 1 1 1 0 0 0 3
Ireland 0 0 0 1 1 1
Jamaica 0 0 0 1 1 1
30 China 1 0 1 0 0 0 2
Costa Rica 0 2 0 0 0 0
New Zealand 0 0 1 1 0 0
33 Finland 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
Serbia 0 0 0 0 1 0
Zambia 0 0 0 0 0 1

Nationalities by continent

Continent refers to the corresponding continental confederation of the player's nationality.

Rank Confederation 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Total
1 Europe 64 56 62 62 74 67 385
2 North America 19 24 18 22 13 22 118
3 Asia 12 12 11 7 6 5 53
4 South America 4 6 6 6 5 4 31
5 Africa 1 2 2 2 2 2 11
6 Oceania 0 0 1 1 0 0 2

By club

As of the 2021 edition, players playing for 76 different clubs have been selected. French club Lyon has had the most players in the Top 100 every year. Clubs are counted when a player in the Top 100 played for that team in the same calendar year they were selected. Players may have played for multiple clubs per year.

Rank Club 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Total
1 Lyon 15 12 14 12 12 15 80
2 Wolfsburg 8 7 11 11 10 4 51
3 Chelsea 7 7 5 8 11 9 47
PSG 7 7 5 7 9 12
5 Barcelona 3 5 4 8 10 14 44
6 Arsenal 5 5 5 6 9 11 41
7 Manchester City 8 7 5 4 7 8 39
8 Bayern Munich 6 4 4 4 6 8 32
9 North Carolina Courage 0 4 8 8 5 2 27
10 Portland Thorns 5 7 4 4 2 4 26
11 OL Reign 4 4 5 1 0 5 19
12 Chicago Red Stars 2 2 4 5 2 2 17
Orlando Pride 4 6 4 2 0 1
14 Rosengård 4 2 3 1 3 2 15
15 Houston Dash 5 2 1 1 3 1 13
16 Montpellier 3 3 2 3 1 0 12
17 Melbourne City 4 1 4 1 1 0 11
18 Eintracht Frankfurt 4 3 1 1 1 0 10
Linköpings 3 2 1 3 1 0
Washington Spirit 2 1 1 3 1 2
21 Atlético Madrid 0 1 1 3 2 2 9
22 Turbine Potsdam 3 3 2 0 0 0 8
23 Real Madrid 0 0 0 2 2 3 7
24 Juventus 0 0 0 1 2 3 6
NJ/NY Gotham FC 0 3 0 1 0 2
Utah Royals 0 0 2 4 0 0
27 Bordeaux 0 0 0 1 2 2 5
LSK Kvinner 2 0 1 2 0 0
29 Canberra United 1 1 0 2 0 0 4
Essen 0 0 2 1 1 0
Freiburg 0 1 1 1 1 0
Sydney FC 1 2 1 0 0 0
Vålerenga 0 1 1 1 1 0
34 Brisbane Roar 0 1 1 1 0 0 3
Dalian 1 1 1 0 0 0
FSU Seminoles 1 1 1 0 0 0
BK Häcken 0 0 0 0 2 1
Jiangsu Suning 0 0 1 1 1 0
Manchester United 0 0 0 1 1 1
Perth Glory 0 1 1 1 0 0
UCLA Bruins 1 1 0 1 0 0
Western New York Flash 3 0 0 0 0 0
Western Sydney Wanderers 0 0 0 2 1 0
44 Birmingham City 0 0 1 1 0 0 2
Changchun Zhuoyue 0 1 1 0 0 0
FC Kansas City 1 1 0 0 0 0
FC Twente 0 2 0 0 0 0
Hoffenheim 0 1 0 0 0 1
INAC Kobe 0 0 1 1 0 0
Kvarnsvedens 1 1 0 0 0 0
SC Sand 0 2 0 0 0 0
Vegalta Sendai 0 2 0 0 0 0
53 AC Nagano 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
Achilles '29 0 1 0 0 0 0
Aston Villa 0 0 0 0 0 1
Boston Breakers 1 0 0 0 0 0
Brighton & Hove Albion 0 0 0 0 1 0
Brøndby 0 1 0 0 0 0
Everton 0 0 0 0 1 0
Hammarby 0 0 1 0 0 0
JEF United 1 0 0 0 0 0
Juvisy 1 0 0 0 0 0
Levante 0 0 0 0 0 1
Liverpool 0 1 0 0 0 0
Newcastle Jets 0 0 1 0 0 0
Okayama Yunogo Belle 1 0 0 0 0 0
Örebro 1 0 0 0 0 0
PSV Eindhoven 0 0 0 0 1 0
Reading 0 0 0 0 0 1
Santos 0 0 0 0 1 0
São Paulo 0 0 0 1 0 0
Shanghai Shengli 0 0 0 0 0 1
Urawa Red Diamonds 0 0 0 1 0 0
West Ham United 0 0 0 0 1 0
West Virginia Mountaineers 1 0 0 0 0 0
Wuhan 0 0 1 0 0 0

Clubs by nation
Rank Nation 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Total
1 United States 30 32 30 30 13 19 154
2 France 26 22 21 23 24 29 145
3 England 20 20 16 20 31 31 138
4 Germany 21 21 21 18 19 13 113
5 Spain 3 6 5 13 14 20 61
6 Sweden 9 5 5 4 6 3 32
7 Australia 6 6 8 7 2 0 29
8 China 1 2 4 1 1 1 10
9 Norway 2 1 2 3 1 0 9
10 Japan 2 3 1 2 0 0 8
11 Italy 0 0 0 1 2 3 6
12 Netherlands 0 3 0 0 1 0 4
13 Brazil 0 0 0 1 1 0 2
14 Denmark 0 1 0 0 0 0 1

See also

References
  1. Laverty, Rich (2 December 2019). "How the Guardian ranked the 100 best female footballers in the world 2019". The Guardian.
  2. "Top 100 Women's Footballers of 2016: 30-21". The Offside Rule. 21 December 2016.
  3. "The Top 100 Women's Footballers of 2017 – Results". The Offside Rule. 11 December 2017.
  4. Laverty, Rich. "The 100 best female footballers in the world 2018". The Guardian.
  5. Laverty, Rich; Laverty, Rich. "The 100 best female footballers in the world 2019". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-12-06.
  6. Laverty, Rich. "The 100 best female footballers in the world 2020". The Guardian.
  7. Laverty, Rich. "The 100 best female footballers in the world 2021". the Guardian. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
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