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.
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Top 10
As of 2023, 36 individual players have been included in the "top 10" of the Top 100 list.
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Overall
By nationality
As of the 2023 edition, players from 38 nations have made up the Top 100. The United States has been the most represented nation in total (111) with a record 19 individuals in 2019. In 2020, Germany became the first nation other than the United States to be the most represented. Spain became the third nation to have the most selections with 15 in 2023. South Africa is the most recent nation to debut following the inclusion of Thembi Kgatlana in 2023. Nationality is defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| Rank | Nation | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | 16 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 9 | 15 | 11 | 7 | 111 |
| 2 | File:Flag of England.svg England | 14 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 91 |
| 3 | File:Flag of Germany.svg Germany | 10 | 7 | 11 | 7 | 13 | 10 | 14 | 5 | 77 |
| 4 | File:Flag of France.svg France | 12 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 75 |
| 5 | File:Flag of Spain.svg Spain | 3 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 15 | 61 |
| 6 | File:Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden | 8 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 51 |
| 7 | File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands | 4 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 50 |
| 8 | File:Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia | 6 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 37 |
| 9 | File:Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 30 |
| 10 | File:Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 28 |
| 11 | File:Flag of Norway.svg Norway | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 27 |
| File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | ||
| 13 | File:Flag of Scotland.svg Scotland | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 16 |
| 14 | File:Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 15 |
| 15 | File:Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Switzerland | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 16 | File:Flag of Nigeria.svg Nigeria | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| 17 | File:Flag of South Korea.svg South Korea | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| File:Flag of Italy.svg Italy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||
| File:Flag of Poland.svg Poland | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 20 | File:Flag of Chile.svg Chile | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| File:Flag of Iceland.svg Iceland | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| File:Flag of Malawi.svg Malawi | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 23 | File:Flag of Austria.svg Austria | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| File:Flag of Wales (1959–present).svg Wales | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| File:Flag of Jamaica.svg Jamaica | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 26 | File:Flag of Portugal.svg Portugal | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| File:Flag of Venezuela.svg Venezuela | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| File:Flag of Ireland.svg Ireland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 29 | File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| File:Flag of Colombia.svg Colombia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 31 | File:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| File:Flag of Costa Rica.svg Costa Rica | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| File:Flag of Haiti.svg Haiti | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| File:Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| File:Flag of Serbia.svg Serbia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| File:Flag of Zambia.svg Zambia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 37 | File:Flag of Finland.svg Finland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| File:Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
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Nationalities by continent
The European confederation has had the most players selected every year. Continent refers to the corresponding continental confederation of the player's nationality.
| Rank | Confederation | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Europe | 64 | 56 | 62 | 62 | 74 | 67 | 68 | 64 | 517 |
| 2 | North America | 19 | 24 | 18 | 22 | 13 | 22 | 18 | 12 | 148 |
| 3 | Asia | 12 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 13 | 73 |
| 4 | South America | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 43 |
| 5 | Africa | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 17 |
| 6 | Oceania | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
By club
As of the 2023 edition, players playing for 89 clubs have been selected. French club Lyon has had the most players in the Top 100 with 103 selections. In 2022, Barcelona became the first club other than Lyon to have the most players selected in a single year and retained the top spot the following 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.
Clubs by nation
For the first four years, the United States league system had the most players selected. Since 2020, England has been the most represented and set a new record of 37 players in 2023.
| Rank | Nation | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | File:Flag of England.svg England | 20 | 20 | 16 | 20 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 37 | 207 |
| 2 | File:Flag of France.svg France | 26 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 29 | 21 | 19 | 185 |
| 3 | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | 30 | 32 | 30 | 30 | 13 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 183 |
| 4 | File:Flag of Germany.svg Germany | 21 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 19 | 13 | 20 | 13 | 146 |
| 5 | File:Flag of Spain.svg Spain | 3 | 6 | 5 | 13 | 14 | 20 | 19 | 25 | 105 |
| 6 | File:Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden | 9 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 33 |
| 7 | File:Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia | 6 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 |
| 8 | File:Flag of Italy.svg Italy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 14 |
| 9 | File:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 11 |
| 10 | File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10 |
| 11 | File:Flag of Norway.svg Norway | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| 12 | File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| 13 | File:Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 14 | File:Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 15 | File:Flag of Colombia.svg Colombia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| File:Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| File:Flag of South Korea.svg South Korea | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
See also
- List of sports awards honouring women
- The Guardian 100 Best Male Footballers in the World
- The Guardian Footballer of the Year
- FIFPro World11
- BBC Women's Footballer of the Year
References
- ↑ Laverty, Rich (2 December 2019). "How the Guardian ranked the 100 best female footballers in the world 2019". The Guardian.
- ↑ "Top 100 Women's Footballers of 2016: 30-21". The Offside Rule. 21 December 2016.
- ↑ "The Top 100 Women's Footballers of 2017 – Results". The Offside Rule. 11 December 2017.
- ↑ Laverty, Rich. "The 100 best female footballers in the world 2018". The Guardian.
- ↑ Laverty, Rich; Laverty, Rich. "The 100 best female footballers in the world 2019". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
- ↑ Laverty, Rich. "The 100 best female footballers in the world 2020". The Guardian.
- ↑ Laverty, Rich. "The 100 best female footballers in the world 2021". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- ↑ Laverty, Rich. "The 100 best female footballers in the world 2022". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
- ↑ Laverty, Rich (12 January 2024). "The 100 best female footballers in the world 2023". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 January 2024.