Having recently experienced a period of exponential growth, women’s football is more popular nowadays than ever before. Thanks to an unprecedented level of commercial investment, the brokering of lucrative broadcasting contracts, and increased media attention, the sport has developed at a rapid rate of knots. Now receiving proper financial backing, all clubs – from grassroots organisations to elite competitors – have been able to access superior training facilities, employ better coaches, and pay players a more competitive salary. As a result, playing standards have immeasurably improved over the past couple of decades.
This process has served to produce a plethora of superstars, adored by millions of fans worldwide. These players represent some of the world’s biggest footballing institutions, as clubs strive to focus more equally on their male and female teams. While many barriers to progress still exist, plenty has been done to address the historical injustices that have previously hindered the women’s game.
However, the landscape looks very different now from what it has done in the past. Before a spirited group of trailblazers elevated the sport through a mixture of grit, skill, and determination, women’s football wasn’t even in the same stratosphere as its powerful male counterpart. Perhaps more poignantly than in any other sporting context, female footballers themselves have been instrumental to the incredible advancement of the women’s game, producing inspirational performances on the pitch and galvanising future generations of players.
The current crop of female footballers, plying their trade in a highly professionalised environment, naturally gain more headlines and receive greater adulation than their spirited predecessors ever did. However, without the noble work of these footballing pioneers, today’s players would perhaps assume an amateur status. Therefore, any top 10 list of all-time greats must include a healthy mix of past and present footballers, and account for a player’s influence on the sport in addition to their technical aptitude.
Explanation of ranking criteria
These types of lists are notoriously difficult to assemble. The subjective nature of the debate means that no set of rankings can be described as definitive, with hundreds of possible variations in play. However, there are some tangible measures that enable us to gauge the skill, success, and impact of players, and therefore guide us towards more accurate selections.
Although achieved with the support of teammates, the volume of major honours a player has acquired is an important statistic that helps us formulate our rankings. After all, winning trophies is the ultimate objective of any footballer, and consequently should also be considered as a personal accomplishment. Continuing with this theme, any individual awards or records a player holds must also be factored into the equation.
While the careers of many sporting icons have been cruelly cut short by injury or issues outside their control, a player’s competitive longevity is often a key indicator of their credentials. Maintaining a world-class level of performance is arguably the toughest challenge of any sport, and serves as a useful tool to separate the good from the very best.
Last but very much not least, we need to appreciate the material influence a player has had on the development of women’s football, and the legacy they leave behind upon hanging up their boots. Indeed, making a lasting imprint is arguably just as important as winning everything the game has to offer.
The Top 10 Female Footballers of All Time
So, who is ranked highest amongst our carefully chosen group of distinguished footballers? Find out below.
Keira Walsh
The beating heart of England’s triumphant Euro 2022 team, Keira Walsh dictates the pace and tempo of the game from the middle of the park. After coming through the ranks at Blackburn Rovers, the 28-year-old navigated a successful eight-year spell at Manchester City before joining Barcelona ahead of the 2022/23 campaign. The Spanish giants paid a world-record fee of around £400,000 to secure her services, although this figure has been surpassed on several occasions since.
Walsh became the youngest player to captain England in September 2018, donning the armband in a World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan at just 21 years of age. Having signed for seven-time WSL champions Chelsea at the turn of the year, it seems inevitable that the tenacious midfielder will add to her impressive list of major honours.
Homare Sawa
An attack-minded midfielder with immense finishing capabilities, Homare Sawa was a regular goalscorer throughout her immensely decorated career. The Japanese netted four times in a 15-0 rout of the Philippines on her international debut, despite having just celebrated her fifteenth birthday a couple of months prior.
Sawa arguably reserved her best form for FIFA’s marquee international competition, making a decisive impact in a remarkable six World Cup tournaments. The pint-sized playmaker struck a dramatic extra-time equalizer in the 2011 final, before Japan overcame the U.S. in a nerve-shredding penalty shootout. In addition to securing a World Cup winners medal at the fifth time of asking, Sawa would also leave Germany with the coveted Golden Boot.
Having won 11 domestic titles during stints in her native homeland with Yomiuri/Nippon TV Beleza and INAC Kobe Leonessa, while also serving as the lynchpin of her international team for over two decades, Sawa was deservedly one of the first players to be inducted into the Asian Hall of Fame.
Aitana Bonmatí
Undoubtedly one of the best players on the planet, Aitana Bonmatí was the recipient of each of the last two Ballon d’Or awards. An integral part of Spain’s triumphant 2023 World Cup campaign, the intelligent midfielder was officially recognized as the tournament’s best player following a series of dazzling displays in Australasia.
A Catalan native, Bonmatí has been at Barcelona since her school days. Throughout her lengthy affiliation with the club, the 27-year-old has accumulated plenty of silverware – including three UEFA Champions League crowns – and racked up almost 200 senior appearances.
Illustrating the scale of her influence within the sporting sector, the Barça hero featured in the BBC’s prestigious ‘100 Women List’ back in 2023.
Abby Wambach
A legendary figure in U.S. footballing history, Abby Wambach registered an eye-watering 184 goals for the Stars and Stripes in 255 international appearances.
Strong, commanding in the air, and a ruthless finisher, the predatory striker would wreak havoc amongst the opposition’s defence. Serving as the focal point of the American attack for well over a decade, Wambach won one World Cup and two Olympic Gold Medals before eventually retiring in 2015. Although the memory would ultimately be tinged with disappointment following a heart-breaking penalty shootout defeat, Wambach’s textbook header in the 2011 World Cup final was perhaps the most iconic moment of her remarkable career.
The 2012 FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year winner also demonstrated her scoring qualities at club level. After helping to propel the Florida Gators to a landmark first NCAA championship in 1998, Wambach regularly found the net during spells with Washington Freedom, Ajax America, MagicJack, and Western New York Flash.
Sun Wen
Arguably the country’s most famous footballing export, Sun Wen is synonymous with the rise of the Chinese game. A leading light at each of the first four editions of the Women’s World Cup, the diminutive forward scooped the Golden Ball and Golden Boot (as joint-winner with Brazil’s Sissi) in 1999, eight years after scoring her maiden international goal on home soil.
As well as leading China’s endeavours on the global stage, Wen helped to raise the profile of the sport within the domestic realm. Resisting the temptation to pursue a move abroad until the twilight stage of her career, the retired star spent eleven years at hometown club Shanghai before enjoying a brief stint with WUSA outfit Atlanta Beat.
In December 2000, Wen was proclaimed joint-winner of FIFA’s Female Player of the Century award, sharing this illustrious accolade with the great Michelle Akers.
Mia Hamm
Responsible for inspiring a generation of young American girls to take up the sport, Mia Hamm was idolised by many members of the current USWNT squad. Widely considered to be one of the most gifted technicians in history, the former Washington Freedom attacker could manipulate the ball in ways others could scarcely even imagine.
A positive force from the very beginning of the female footballing revolution, Hamm was on the scoresheet in her country’s first-ever World Cup fixture and led the North Carolina Tar Heels to four NCAA Championships during the heyday of collegiate soccer.
After clinching Olympic Gold in Atalanta and Athens, lifting two World Cups, and being declared back-to-back FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year, Hamm swapped the pitch for the board room. Today, she co-owns reigning U.S Open Cup champions Los Angeles FC and NWSL outfit Angel City, whilst also serving as a director for Italian heavyweights Roma.
Christine Sinclair
Having netted an eye-watering 190 goals in her 328 appearances for Canada, Christine Sinclair is international football’s all-time top scorer.
An Olympic Gold medallist and two-time CONCACAF Championship winner, the recently-retired attacker has been central to the Canucks’ graduation from a modest competitor to a nation consistently placed within FIFA’s top ten rankings. She is also one of only three players to score at five separate World Cup tournaments, netting three times at both USA 2003 and China 2007.
After helping the Portland Pilots claim two NCAA crowns and securing various league titles with Vancouver Whitecaps, FC Gold Pride, and Western New York Flash, Sinclair returned to Oregon to win the NWSL Championship on four occasions while representing the Portland Thorns.
Although famed for her killer finishing instincts, the 14-time Canadian Player of the Year also provided plenty of creativity, industry, and positional versatility – a true icon of the modern game.
Michelle Akers
Given her colossal impact on the women’s game, many would argue Michelle Akers should occupy a higher position within our top ten rankings. One of the first real superstars of the sport, the American Hall of Famer captured the hearts and minds of soccer enthusiasts with her swashbuckling playing style and unique goalscoring ability.
Akers netted ten times at the inaugural FIFA Women’s World Cup, a tournament record that is yet to be surpassed. After recording three group stage strikes and delivering a memorable five-goal performance against Chinese Taipei, the talented markswoman fired twice beyond Norwegian ‘keeper Reidun Seth in the final. Eight years later, Akers would earn a second World Cup winners medal – this time in her native California – following the USWNT’s penalty shootout victory over China at the Rose Bowl.
The first recipient of the highly-respected Marc Hermann Trophy, the Santa Clara-born sharpshooter concluded her spectacular spell with the UCF Knights as the collegiate outfit’s all-time top scorer before heading to Scandinavia to join Tyresö FF. Although she retired just before the establishment of the first professional league, Akers left an enduring legacy that is still keenly felt to this day.
Birgit Prinz
Although she chose to retire earlier than most, few players can compete with Birgit Prinz’s extensive list of achievements. Boasting a bustling trophy cabinet of major prizes and awards, the talismanic striker lifted nine Bundesliga titles, ten DFB-Pokal Frauen Cups, and three continental crowns throughout her glittering career.
A Golden Ball and Golden Boot – both received following Germany’s victorious 2003 World Cup campaign – are also part of this impressive haul, as is her solitary WUSA Championship winners medal earned during a season-long stint with Carolina Courage.
Despite her remarkable international exploits, the eight-time German Player of the Year is perhaps best recognized for her performances in domestic circles. Averaging more than a goal per game in each of her two spells with hometown club Eintracht Frankfurt and netting 45 times for cross-city rivals FSV, Prinz’s name would appear on the scoresheet almost every week.
Marta
It’s difficult to find strong enough superlatives to describe the extent of Marta’s ongoing hegemony, having been the dominant force in women’s football for the best part of two decades. Blessed with immense agility, sublime skill, and a proclivity for both creating and taking goalscoring opportunities, the Brazilian baller seems to glide through matches with consummate ease.
A three-time Olympic silver medallist and beaten finalist in the 2007 World Cup, Marta suffered several gut-wrenching disappointments in the famous yellow jersey. Although she won’t add to her tally of 17 World Cup goals after confirming her retirement from international football last year, it’s hard to believe this astonishing record will ever be eclipsed.
Despite turning 39 years of age in February, the veteran forward has recently signed a new two-year contract with long-term employer Orlando Pride. Having previously lifted the WPS league title with FC Gold Pride and Western New York Flash, Marta finally got her hands on the NWSL Championship trophy last term.
Honourable mentions
With so many immensely talented and influential players to choose from, there were always going to be a few tight calls. Several were unfortunate to miss the cut, perhaps hindered by a lack of experience or limited exposure on the international stage. While the following players have fallen just outside our top ten rankings, each deserves an honourable mention…..
Sam Kerr
After registering over half a century of goals for Perth Glory in her native homeland, Sam Kerr secured three consecutive NWSL Golden Boots during spells with Sky Blue FC (now known as NJ/NY Gotham FC) and Chicago Red Stars. The determined striker’s sensational form continued following her high-profile switch to English heavyweights Chelsea in 2020, netting 58 times in her first 75 appearances for the West Londoners.
Having overtaken Matilda’s legend Lisa De Vanna at the summit of Australia’s all-time goalscoring charts, Kerr has already inscribed her name into the record books.
Caroline Graham Hansen
A technically gifted wide player with quick feet and an eye for a defence-splitting pass, Caroline Graham Hansen is a constant attacking threat. The skilful Norwegian has secured league titles in Germany, Spain, and her native homeland, while also winning the Women’s UEFA Champions League on three occasions with current club Barcelona.
Despite amassing over 100 international caps for one of the game’s strongest nations, the 30-year-old has never featured beyond the quarter-final stages of the World Cup. Hansen was part of Even Pellerud’s starting XI for the 2013 European Championship final, but was unable to prevent Norway from being narrowly defeated by Germany.
Kristine Lilly
No male or female footballer has earned more international caps than Kristine Lilly, having represented the U.S. in each of the first five World Cup tournaments and three Olympic Games. A glowing symbol of longevity, the forward-thinking midfielder was a master of her craft for well over two decades.
Lilly’s name will be eternally linked with the American soccer boom of the 1990s, having been a poster girl of the games’ pre-professional era.
Megan Rapinoe
A past recipient of the Ballon d’Or and serial winner of various club and international major honours, Megan Rapinoe has long since proven her status as one of the best female footballers of all time. Despite dealing with several frustrating injuries throughout her long and unique career, the Californian midfielder was still able to make an enduring impact on the sport.
Leveraging her considerable profile to help the fight against social injustice, Rapinoe has been at the forefront of various progressive campaigns. The former OL Reign star was instrumental in abolishing the pay gap between the male and female representatives of the U.S. national team, and has been an active supporter of LGBTQIA+ rights.
Final thoughts
As the women’s game continues to grow from strength to strength, so does the skill level and stature of its finest players. Although this serves to further consign the memories of retired heroes to the past, the contribution of the sport’s fledgling competitors should never be overlooked. The likes of Michelle Akers, Mia Hamm, and Sun Wen paved the way for future generations, forcing the movement towards professionalisation.
It may take some time for newer talents to dislodge the old guard…..