So who are the best players in women’s football right now?
It’s a question that’s growing with the game itself. As women’s sport evolves, as does the technicality and physicality, along with the debate over the names dominating at the elite level.
Here at FourFourTwo, we thought it was only right to decide for ourselves…
This was a list that was tricky to decide. The list was led by women’s football editor, Sarah Rendell, before other football experts at FourFourTwo were asked for their opinions.
Players were judged by their current standing in the game regardless of longevity, though achievements were considered, while players across the world were up for inclusion – and not just those in Europe. Players were noted for their contributions both internationally and at club level, with players from all positions considered, too.
This was a list, too, in which more than just technical ability mattered. An overall effectiveness was key to the selection of several talents, with big-game prowess or versatility mattering, in certain cases.
Readers may disagree with the choices or the order but every player on the list is a world-class talent – so who has made the list? And who is the best player in the world? And do you agree? Let us know @FourFourTwo on social…
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50. Jess Fishlock
Wales international Jess Fishlock will go down as one of the best players of all-time. She overtook Gareth Bale as Wales’ top-scorer in 2024 and has 46 goals for her country. Fishlock also holds the caps record with 156 to her name.
At club level she continue to play for Reign FC, who she has been competing for since 2013. She has had several loan deal during that time but she has played for the club over 200 times. Throughout her career she has also won the Champions League twice, once with Frankfurt and once with Lyon.
49. Sjoeke Nusken
Chelsea and Germany player Sjoeke Nusken makes the list for her versatility. In the 2023/24 season she played every position on the pitch for the Blues aside from goalkeeper and she was adept at all of them.
The versatility allows club and country to be able to adapt to any situation on the pitch.
She was a vital part of Chelsea winning the WSL in Emma Hayes’ last season and proved to be an astute signing by the club.
48. Esmee Brugts
We could see Esmee Brugts climbing this list in years to come but for now, as she remains more on the fringes of the Barcelona team she only just makes the list. She has impressed since moving to the Spanish giants but has fierce competition at the club.
She has been phenomenal for her national side the Netherlands, especially at the 2023 World Cup.
47. Selma Bacha
Lyon defender Selma Bacha is a versatile threat as she is impeccable in the back three but she always manages to weave her way up the pitch to deliver pinpoint crosses. She came through the youth ranks at Lyon and since making her senior debut 2017 she has won 16 trophies.
She has also started to put her footprint on the France team since winning her first cap in 2021. Bacha needs a few more years to be fully cemented.
46. Wendie Renard
While Wendie Renard is not quite as good as she once, she would still make a lot of fans’ starting 11 for not only her leadership but her astuteness on the pitch.
Renard, who is captain of Lyon, remains deadly on a set piece with her headers iconic. her ability to read the game and anticipate opposition moves is second to none.
She joined Lyon in 2006 and has gone on to win 37 trophies and counting. Renard is a footballing icon and the French international shows no sign of slowing down just yet.
45. Georgia Stanway
Georgia Stanway has been a solid player for England, scoring the winner in the Euros quarter-final against Spain in 2022 when the Lionesses won the tournament. She was also a part of the squad that reached the 2023 World Cup final.
She has gone from strength-to-strength after joining Bayern Munich from Manchester City 2022. She has won two Frauen Bundesliga titles and a German cup since joining the side.
44. Athenea del Castillo
Spain and Real Madrid forward Athenea del Castillo is best known for her dribbling skills. She is one of the best Real Madrid players in the team but the club are yet to win any silverware with her in the side. Del Castillo has been at the club since 2021.
Despite her lack of silverware at club level, she has more than made up for it on the international stage. She won the World Cup and Nations League with Spain. She is not a regular starter for the national side but makes an impact from the bench.
43. Mariona Caldentey
Mariona Caldentey is another alum from the prestigious Barcelona team, who she played for for 10 years and won 22 trophies. She moved to Arsenal in 2024 and has become one of the Gunners’ most important players, particularly in the Champions League.
The forward has also been a key player in Spain’s team winning the World Cup and the Nations League in recent years.
42. Kerolin
Brazil’s Kerolin had a good 2023 World Cup and contributed to the team winning a silver medal at the 2024 Olympics. She not only shines on the international stage with her ability to thread a team play together but for club North Carolina Courage.
The star has won the NWSL Challenge Cup twice since joining the side in 2022.
41. Tabitha Chawinga
Tabitha Chawinga has always been a consistent performer but really hit her stride on a loan move to Inter Milan in the 2022/23 season. She was the Serie A top scorer with 23 goals in the league that season.
The following season, on a loan deal with Paris Saint-Germain, she became the first Malawian player to score in the Women’s Champions League. Her incredible performances earned her a permanent spot in the Lyon squad, who she joined in 2024.
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40. Asisat Oshoala
Asisat Oshoala is a Barcelona legend and before she left in 2024 she has won 14 trophies in her five years at the club.
She was an integral part in building the Barca team into what it is now but was receiving less minutes because of the other world class talent in the squad. She moved to Bay FC.
Oshoala is also an icon for Nigeria and has been playing for the national side since 2013. She has played in multiple tournaments for the team and became the first Super Falcons player to score at three consecutive World Cups
39. Kadidiatou Diani
France and Lyon’s Kadidiatou Diani may not always be the most flash in front of goal but she gets the job done. She a crucial player in Paris Saint-Germain’s team and it was a huge move when she transferred to their rivals Lyon in 2023.
She was the top scorer in the 2023/24 Women’s Champions League and she has also impressed for France, scoring a hat-trick against Panama at the 2023 World Cup.
38. Trinity Rodman
In her first NWSL season Trinity Rodman won the Championship and won Rookie of the Year. She has continued to play well for Washington Spirit and it earned her a call up to the USWNT in 2022. She scored three goals at the 2024 Paris Games where the US won the gold medal.
And if you think you recognise her last name, you do. Her father is Dennis Rodman, the NBA legend.
37. Melchie Dumornay
Haiti’s Melchie Dumornay is considered one of the most promising talents in world football. She has always had amazing passing skills and an ability to read the game which earned her a contract at Lyon. Being surrounded by world class players at the club has only aided her football.
She moved to Lyon in 2023 and won two trophies in her first season. Dumornay may have been born in 2003 but she is also the best player in the Haitian team.
36. Sophia Smith
Sophia Smith won her first cap for the USWNT in 2020 after a good first NWSL season and she was the first person born in the 2000s to play for the team. She is yet to hit her peak but her football so far has been thoroughly impressive.
She was a critical part of the team who won gold at the 2024 Olympics. She was named US played of the year in 2022 and was voted the MVP of the SheBelieves Cup in 2024.
35. Caroline Weir
Is a Caroline Weir goal really a Caroline Weir goal without being a belter from outside the box? Manchester City fans got used to seeing them, especially in a Manchester derby, when she played for them until she moved to Real Madrid in 2022. She has continued to hit incredible goals since joining the Spanish side.
Her career stalled in 2023 though as she suffered an ACL rupture.
34. Lucia Garcia
Lucia Garcia was without a doubt Manchester United’s best player when they won the FA Cup in 2024. She was player of the match in the final against Tottenham and it was a huge blow to the club when she left on a free transfer that summer to Monterrey.
The forward, who can also play as a winger, made her debut for Spain in 2018 but she made herself unavailable for selection in 2022 and 2023 to improve the standards in the team.
33. Pernille Harder
Denmark and Bayern Munich’s Pernille Harder has been so consistent that she has won the league title in nine consecutive seasons for three different clubs. She is not only a threat in front of goal but she is also able to slice team’s defence open to put her side on the frontfoot.
Harder is also Denmark’s all-time scorer with a prolific international career. As well as incredible feats onfield, she also advocates for LGBTQ+ rights.
32. Alexandra Popp
Wolfsburg striker Alexandra Popp is arguably Germany’s best player to grace a pitch. Before retiring from international football in 2024 she scored 67 goals in 144 games.
During Euro 2022 she scored in every game she played in, being a vital player in guiding Germany to the final. Popp pulled up injured in the warm-up at Wembley and so did not play in the final with England winning 2-1. Who’s to say what would have happened had Popp been able to play.
For her club football, she has played for Wolfsburg since 2012 where she has won 19 trophies.
31. Marie-Antoinette Katoto
France’s Marie-Antoinette Katoto is deadly with frontfoot ball, she became Paris Saint-Germain’s top scorer in February 2022 at the age of just 23. An ACL injury hampered her progress in 2022 but upon her return she has hit the ground running with form.
She took a break from international football in 2023 to increase the standards for the French team. Katoto returned to the pitch for France in December 2023 and she scored in the match against Austria.
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30. Barbra Banda
Barbra Banda is a prolific scorer for club Orlando Pride but more so for national team Zambia. She is the top scorer in the Olympics for an African player with three hat-tricks over two Games.
She moved to Orlando Pride in 2024 and won the NWSL Championship in her first season. Banda was also named BBC’s women’s footballer of the year in 2024.
29. Naomi Girma
Naomi Girma broke into the USWNT team the same year she started her senior club career. She was drafted by San Diego Wave in 2022 and a few months later she won her first cap for the US. While she was at college she was called into the US camp but did not make her debut.
The defender has become a fan favourite ever since and played at her first World Cup in 2023. Later that year she was named US player of the year, becoming the first defender to win the award. She was also a key part of the gold medal winning team at the 2024 Olympics.
28. Beth Mead
While Beth Mead’s current form is not as good as the heights of 2022, she is still a reliable option for Arsenal and England. At the Euros in 2022 she won the Golden Boot and player of the tournament in the Lionesses winning run.
She ruptured her ACL and so could not go to the World Cup. On her return to the pitch she was a starter under Jonas Eidevall but under interim boss Renee Slegers she has been a bench option more often. Her space awareness and passing accuracy are still off the charts.
27. Mary Earps
Paris Saint-Germain and England goalkeeper Mary Earps is a fan favourite and not just for her viral moments. She has more than proved herself in the Lionesses goal, being a central figure to their 2022 Euros win.
Under Sarina Wiegman she has exclusively been the number one choice, though she now faces some competition from Hannah Hampton. Earps went viral in 2022 for dancing on a desk after winning the Euros and then again in 2023 after saving a penalty in the World Cup final.
26. Vivianne Miedema
Injury may have impacted Vivianne Miedema’s last few seasons but she is still among the best in the world. The Manchester City and Netherland forward remains the all-time WSL scorer and is the top scorer for her country too.
Her best scoring season in the league came in the 2018/19 campaign but she has continued to be a consistent players for the side she has competed for. Before knee surgery curtailed the start to her 2024/25 season, she scored on her debut for City against her former club Arsenal.
Her knee has been the main injury to affect her career after she ruptured her ACL in late 2022. She has had issues with it ever since but when fully fit is as good as she ever was.
25. Lena Oberdorf
Lena Oberdorf is a strong and physical midfielder who battles every opponent well. A great example of a duel including Oberdorf was her battle against Georgia Stanway in the 2022 Euros final. England won the game but Oberdorf got a few hits in before full-time.
She is currently out with an ACL injury but on pitch has been a consistent star which earned her a move to Bayern Munich in the 2024 summer transfer window. Bayern are in good form and will only go to another level when Oberdorf returns.
24. Katie McCabe
Arsenal’s Katie McCabe is the most booked player in WSL history but there is more to her game than her physicality.
An example of the skill she brings to teams came when she was playing for the Republic of Ireland. The team were playing Canada at the 2023 World Cup and McCabe fired home directly from a corner. To add to the feat it was the team’s first-ever World Cup goal.
She is one of the first names on Arsenal’s team sheet and has won the WSL, FA Cup and three League Cups since joining the Gunners in 2015.
23. Lauren James
Chelsea and England’s Lauren James has quickly become a fan favourite for her passing skills, ability to beat defenders and score on big occasions.
She scored two hat-tricks at Stamford Bridge in the 2023/24 season and only injury has prevented her from continuing her form. Throughout the latter part of 2024 she has been plagued with injury which has stopped her winning minutes for club and country.
James’ game is not yet completely well-rounded with her decision-making not always on point. But she is still only a young player and if she refines that area there will be no stopping her when she is back to full fitness.
22. Erin Cuthbert
Chelsea and Scotland midfielder Erin Cuthbert is known for only scoring worldie goals. She is also one of the main linchpins of the Blues team and is incredible at attacking and defending in the midfield.
She is arguably the best current Scottish player in the women’s game and she adds character with her personality too. There was debate around a goal celebration she did against Everton in November 2024 where fans thought she was taking the mick out of England captain Leah Williamson.
21. Lauren Hemp
Manchester City’s Lauren Hemp is one of the best for creating chances. Her combination with Bunny Shaw is deadly for City as Hemp is always able to find Shaw in the box. She is also capable of finishing off her own chances too.
She has also grown in her role in the Lionesses team too, becoming a sure starter from the 2023 World Cup onwards. She won the Euros with the team in 2022 too.
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20. Fridolina Rolfo
Sweden international Fridolina Rolfo is the latest Barcelona player to make the list, they are the best club in Europe because they have the best players.
The forward is not always on the scoresheet with her teammates Graham Hansen and Paralluelo slotting a lot for the Spanish club but Rolfo is still a world class player for the outfit.
She has won nine trophies with Barcelona but also plied her trade effectively at clubs like Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich before moving to Barca in 2021. Rolfo’s international career is almost as prolific as her club. She has won two silver Olympic medals and three bronze World Cup medals.
19. Sam Kerr
Chelsea and Australia striker Sam Kerr’s records speak for themselves. She is the only women’s footballer to have recorded Golden Boots in three different leagues: Australia, USA and England.
Kerr still holds the record for the most goals scored in the National Women’s Soccer League despite leaving the league in 2019.
Kerr is also Australia’s top scorer and is the Matildas captain. The only reason she is not higher on the list is some players have progressed while Kerr has been on the sidelines nursing an ACL injury. She is expected to return to the pitch in 2025, where no doubt she will climb lists like these once again.
18. Giulia Gwinn
Giulia Gwinn is predominantly a defender but she is also capable of playing as a midfielder for Bayern Munich and Germany. She plays as an attacking wingback.
Gwinn is part of an impressive Bayern Munich side who are in great form in the 2024/25 season with results including a 5-2 win over Arsenal in the Women’s Champions League.
Gwinn is also hitting her stride in a German shirt. While Germany’s 4-3 win over England in October 2024 was not a complete performance by the team, Gwinn had a great game. She scored two goals with one an incredible penalty.
17. Guro Reiten
If the definition of passion had to be a picture it would be a photo of Guro Reiten after scoring for club Chelsea or national team Norway.
Her level has been one of the main reasons the Blues have returned silverware season-on-season and she was at the heart of the performance which re-awakened Chelsea’s bid for the WSL trophy in the 2023/24 season.
Manchester City had a good goal difference over the Blues heading into the final two matches but Chelsea started to turn the tide against Bristol City when they won 8-0. Reiten scored four that day and roared in celebration after each one.
Chelsea went on to win the WSL title that season. Her goal-scoring isn’t the only string in her bow with her passing ability world class.
16. Patri Guijarro
It is not surprising that another of the spectacular all-conquering Barcelona team has made this list and in 16th is Patri Guijarro.
She is capable of playing offensively and defensively but sees herself more as an offensive midfielder currently. She joined the Spanish giants in 2015 and has gone onto win 22 trophies with no sign of the team letting up on their form.
Patri was also another player who boycotted the Spain team in order for standards to improve for players. This meant she did not make herself available for selection for the 2023 World Cup.
15. Alex Greenwood
England’s Alex Greenwood won the Euros in 2022 and was the team’s standout player in their run to the World Cup final a year later. She is an absolute brick wall in defence and would be most supporter’s first name on a team sheet.
After Steph Houghton retired she was named Manchester City’s captain and the leadership role has only added to her game. Although City lost 2-0 to Chelsea in the 2024/25 WSL season at Stamford Bridge, Greenwood had a spectacular game.
She was also one of City’s best players when they defeated defending Women’s Champions League champions Barcelona in the group stage in 2024.
14. Alexia Putellas
The Barcelona and Spain icon is a trailblazer in the sport with her outstanding contributions to dominant teams. She has won everything she can aside from the Euros, which Spain will be targeting next summer.
Putellas has won the Ballon d’Or twice but her career was put on hold after she ruptured her ACL in 2022. She missed the Euros that year but has come back as though she never left. Putellas contributed to Spain’s World Cup win and she has moved to Barcelona’s third-highest goal scorer.
13. Rachael Kundananji
Rachael Kundananji became the most expensive player in the world in the 2024 winter transfer window when Bay FC bought her for $860,000 from Madrid CFF and it’s clear to see why. She is the electric bolt teams need to break down their opposition.
A performance which sums up just how incredible she is with and without the ball was Zambia 3-2 win over Germany at the 2023 World Cup. She was impactful throughout the tournament but her contributions during that game, including a goal, inspired the win.
12. Mapi Leon
Barcelona defender Mapi Leon is a key element of the team becoming the giant in European football is now is. She can play as a left-back and centre-back and her quality of passing is exquisite. Since joining Barcelona in 2017 she 18 trophies.
Leon was also one of the players who boycotted the World Cup because they did not want to play under Jorge Vilda and they wanted better standards for the Spanish team.
11. Yui Hasegawa
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Japan and Manchester City’s Yui Hasegawa is arguably the WSL’s best midfielder and is one of the best in the world in her position.
She was such an integral part of an impressive City side in the 2023/24 season many argued she should have won the PFA player of the year award instead of her teammates Bunny Shaw.
Hasegawa was also nominated for the Ballon d’Or after consistent performances for club and country. She started all four matches for Japan at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
10. Mayra Ramirez
Mayra Ramirez was drafted into Chelsea’s team after two of their forwards, Sam Kerr and Mia Fishel, ruptured their ACLs. The Colombia international had impressed at the 2023 World Cup and for former club Levante. The signing has been one of the best the Blues have done in recent seasons.
Ramirez had a phenomenal performance against Manchester United in the last game of the 2023/24 WSL season in a game Chelsea won 6-0 to win their fifth consecutive league title.
She has continued to be a game changer for the Blues and particularly showed the impact she brings in a league game against Manchester City in the 2024/25 season. Ramirez scored the first goal in their 2-0 win after blowing City’s defence apart. A big game player.
9. Ada Hegerberg
Ada Hegerberg made history when she became the first female winner of a Ballon d’Or in 2018. The Norway international has always been a history maker in the sport and is the highest scorer in the Women’s Champions League.
She was a central figure to the formidable and dominant Lyon team and continues to contribute to their trophy success.
Hegerberg also is a trailblazer in women’s football as she protested her national team. She didn’t play for Norway for five years because she did not like the federation’s attitude towards women’s football. Now that has improved she is once again a key player for the national team.
With Lyon she has won six Champions League titles and nine French league trophies.
8. Bunny Shaw
Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw is one of the main reasons Manchester City are fighting for silverware again. Her goal-scoring ability is second to none and she was he WSL Golden Boot winner in the 2023/24 season, becoming the first Man City player to do so.
She broke her foot towards the end of that season and some pundits lay that as the reason Chelsea pipped City on the final day of the season to win the title.
Shaw is not only impressive for City but also for her international team in Jamaica. She was part of the side who reached the World Cup last 16 for the first time in 2023.
7. Linda Caicedo
Columbia’s Linda Caicedo became a household name after her exquisite performances at the 2023 World Cup where her side reached the quarter-finals for the first time. She earned her starting shirt with impressive skills she put on display for club Real Madrid.
It’s scary to think she is so early on in her career and she is a well-rounded player. The football world is very much her oyster.
6. Ona Batlle
Barcelona and Spain defender Ona Batlle is one of, if not the, best full-back in the world. Her move from Manchester United to Barcelona in 2023 saw her win the starting shirt from Lucy Bronze, which contributed to Bronze moving to Chelsea.
Batlle was phenomenal for United and was one of the WSL’s best players when she was at the side and she has only got better with Barca. She won the quadruple in her first season with the Spanish giants.
5. Johanna Rytting Kaneryd
Chelsea star Johanna Rytting Kaneryd has been a solid player for the Blues since joining in 2022 but the 2024/25 season is where she has come into her powers.
She holds all the answers when Chelsea are posed attacking questions and teams struggle to contain her. When they do, Chelsea find it increasingly more difficult breaking down teams. Kaneryd is in the form of her life and there are no signs she is slowing down.
4. Keira Walsh
Keira Walsh has always been among the best in the world but the 2022 European Championship brought the best out of the midfielder.
She was the linchpin of the England team who beat Germany in the final to win the title. The entire team played the football through Walsh, who was player of the final at Wembley.
Walsh moved to Barcelona after the tournament, where her football has only progressed. She has won everything in Spain, including the Champions League.
3. Caroline Graham Hansen
It is baffling how Caroline Graham Hansen has only made the Ballon d’Or top three once, she defies physics with how good her football is. Her passing accuracy, shooting skills and defending are on another planet and she has been at such a high consistent level throughout her career.
In her club career across Stabaek, Wolfsburg and Barcelona she has won 29 trophies. The Norway international has also been voted her country’s best footballer four times.
2. Salma Paralluelo
Salma Paralluelo has electric pace and precise shooting capabilities which has aided her club Barcelona and national team Spain.
Her prowess on the pitch is underpinned by a slice of history and she is the only player to have ever won the World Cup, the U20 World Cup and the U17 World Cup.
She transferred to Spanish giants Barcelona in 2022 and has gone on to win multiple titles.
Her minutes at Barcelona helped her win her first cap for Spain in November 2022 and she scored a hat-trick in the game, a 7-0 win against Argentina. The young talent is bound to go on to win even more silverware.
1. Aitana Bonmati
Barcelona and Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmati is without a doubt the best player in the world right now. Not only did she help guide her team to a World Cup win in 2023, but she is consistently Barcelona’s best star.
In her senior career she has only ever played for Barcelona and has so far won five Spanish league titles, three Champions League trophies, six Copa de la Reina’s and four Spanish cups.
Bonmati has been an integral part of Barcelona dominating European football and has been rewarded with individual acclaim because of it.
She won the Ballon d’Or in 2023 and 2024 and was named FIFA’s best in 2023.