Annual global ranking of the best female footballers
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]
As of 2024, out of the 295 players that have been included in the list, only 5 have been included on it every year since it was first published in 2016.
As of the 2024 edition, players from 39 nations have made up the Top 100. The United States has been the most represented nation in total (123) 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, retaining top spot the following year. Mexico is the most recent nation to debut following the inclusion of Lizbeth Ovalle in 2024.
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
2024
Total
1
United States
16
18
16
19
9
15
11
7
12
123
2
England
14
11
11
10
10
10
13
12
14
105
3
Germany
10
7
11
7
13
10
14
5
10
87
4
France
12
6
9
10
10
12
10
6
7
82
5
Spain
3
4
4
7
8
10
10
15
15
76
6
Sweden
8
2
5
9
8
9
4
6
2
53
7
Netherlands
4
9
6
6
8
4
5
8
2
52
8
Australia
6
8
5
2
3
2
3
8
3
40
9
Brazil
3
5
4
5
4
2
4
3
5
35
10
Norway
3
4
4
5
4
1
3
3
5
32
11
Japan
4
3
4
4
2
2
3
5
4
31
12
Canada
3
4
2
2
3
6
5
3
1
29
13
Scotland
3
0
1
2
3
2
3
2
3
19
14
Denmark
2
4
3
1
2
1
1
1
1
16
15
Switzerland
1
2
3
0
1
1
1
1
1
11
16
Nigeria
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
9
17
Italy
0
0
0
1
2
2
1
1
1
8
Malawi
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
1
2
Poland
0
0
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
20
Chile
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
7
Iceland
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
South Korea
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
23
Jamaica
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
6
24
Austria
0
3
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
5
Colombia
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
2
Ireland
0
0
0
1
1
1
0
1
1
Wales
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
0
0
28
Portugal
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
4
Venezuela
1
1
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
Zambia
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
2
31
Belgium
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
Haiti
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
33
China
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
Costa Rica
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
New Zealand
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
Serbia
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
37
Finland
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
Mexico
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
South Africa
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
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.
As of the 2024 edition, players playing for 92 clubs have been selected. French club Lyon has had the most players in the Top 100 with 116 selections in total. 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 two years. The record for most players selected in a single year is 17, set by Barcelona in 2024. 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.
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.
