Best Female Football Players in the World 2023 ( Updated )
by Maivizhi A
Updated Mar 21, 2023
Best Female Football Players in the World 2023
Although men's football remains the most widely followed version of the sport, women's football has experienced steady growth over the years, owing to increased media exposure and fan interest. Barcelona has been at the forefront of this growth, having broken the record for the highest attendance in women's football twice in 2022 when they hosted the UEFA Women's Champions League games at the Camp Nou. Women's football has been growing in popularity over the years, and the sport has seen some of the most talented and exceptional female players emerge. In this article, we will be discussing the top 10 best female football players, who are currently regarded as the most outstanding athletes in the sport. If you're curious about the greatest female football players and their accomplishments, check below.
Top 10 Best Female Football Players
Here we are going to assess the top 10 Best Female Famous Football players, Every one of whom can be regarded as the Best Footballer in the world at this point in time by fans.
S.No
Player
Club
Country
1
Alexia Putellas
Barcelona
Spain
2
Sam Kerr
Chelsea
Australia
3
Aitana Bonmati
Barcelona
Spain
4
Catarina Macario
Lyon
United States
5
Vivianne Miedema
Arsenal
The Netherlands
6
Caroline Graham Hansen
Barcelona
Norway
7
Marie-Antoinette Katoto
Paris Saint-Germain
France
8
Jennifer Hermoso
Pachuca
Spain
9
Mapi Leon
Barcelona
Spain
10
Ada Hegerberg
Lyon
Norway
Here, we have updated the brief description of the above tabulated players.
Top 10 best Female Soccer Player in the World
1. Alexia Putellas
Alexia Putellas is a prominent figure in women's football, representing both Barcelona and Spain. She is widely regarded as the top player in the sport, having received several prestigious awards including the Ballon d'Or Feminin, The Best FIFA Women's Player, and UEFA Women's Player of the Year in both 2021 and 2022. With her exceptional skills and leadership qualities, Putellas is the driving force behind Barcelona's success and has even taken on a prominent role off the field since the departure of Lionel Messi.
Her exceptional intelligence, technical abilities, passing range, creativity, and decision-making skills make her an influential match-winner in women's football. In the 2021/2022 season, she led the Primera Division in assists and was the top scorer in the UEFA Women's Champions League. However, her season was cut short due to a serious knee injury, which caused her to miss a significant portion of the 2022 season.
2. Sam Kerr
Sam Kerr, the striker for both Chelsea in England and the Australian national team, was named the 2021/22 PFA Players' Player of the Year in recognition of her outstanding and consistent performances. This was one of the best seasons of her football career, during which she won the FA Cup, league title, and several player of the season awards.
As the captain of Australia, Kerr made history by becoming the first and only female footballer to win Golden Boot awards in three different leagues across three continents. Additionally, in 2022, she became Australia's all-time leading goal-scorer. She also achieved another groundbreaking feat by being the first woman to appear on the global cover of the FIFA video game alongside Kylian Mbappe.
3. Aitana Bonmati
Aitana Bonmati, a player for both Barcelona and the Spanish national team, is widely regarded as one of the most creative and inspired players in the world. She has been a part of the Camp Nou since she was 14 years old and embodies the club's famous and elegant style of football, as well as its technical brilliance that is developed at the renowned La Masia academy. Bonmati is also known for her impressive ability to evade pressure and navigate out of tricky situations. At only 24 years old, Bonmati continues to show significant improvement year after year, particularly in the final third of the field. In the 2020/21 UEFA Women's Champions League final, she was named player of the match in Barcelona's victory over Chelsea. During the following season, Bonmati scored 16 goals and provided seven assists across the Primera Division and European competition.
Bonmati and her teammate Alexia Putellas are often compared to the likes of Xavi and Iniesta in both Barcelona and the Spanish national team.
4. Catarina Macario
Catarina Macario is being hailed as one of the brightest stars for the future of the US women's national football team, following a sensational year for both her club and country. Although she was born in Brazil, Macario moved to the United States at the age of 12 with her father and brother, determined to pursue her dream of playing professional football. Her hard work and dedication paid off, as Macario won the UEFA Women's Champions League with Lyon on her very first attempt, defeating Barcelona in the process. In her first full season in France, she also finished as the top-scorer for her club and scored an impressive 23 goals in 35 matches across all competitions, including nine goals and two assists in the Champions League.
5. Vivianne Miedema
Vivianne Miedema is considered one of the most talented forwards in women's football, with a natural ability to score goals. However, she doesn't see herself as just a number 9, but rather a mix of a number 9 and number 10, focusing on the creative aspects of the game and collecting an assist almost every two matches.
In June 2022, Miedema became the first player to be involved in 100 goals in the FA Women's Super League, despite Arsenal's lack of silverware. She remains loyal to the club and is highly regarded for her intelligence and tactical awareness, holding a UEFA 'B' coaching license and even completing a master's degree in Football Business from the Johan Cruyff Institute in 2021.
6. Caroline Graham Hansen
Caroline Graham Hansen is widely considered as one of the best wingers in the world, with exceptional technical ability, dribbling skills, and game-changing influence. She has enjoyed an illustrious football career, winning a remarkable 20 major trophies, and reaching four UEFA Women's Champions League finals, emerging victorious with Barcelona in the 2020/21 season.
Despite not receiving a Ballon d'Or nomination, she made a significant impact, scoring 13 goals and providing 25 assists in all competitions. Hansen's playing style is distinct from typical Norwegian players, as she combines her technical prowess with dribbling skills to outsmart defenders, rather than relying solely on physicality. Her contributions have been invaluable to Barcelona, who have won nine out of 12 possible trophies since she joined the team in 2019. Without a doubt, Hansen's impact on the field makes her a star for any team she plays for.
7. Marie-Antoinette Katoto
Marie Antoinette-Katoto is a 23-year-old footballer who has already broken records by becoming Paris Saint-Germain's leading goal-scorer with an impressive 132 goals in just 148 matches. She possesses great speed, composure, and finishing ability, making her one of the most dangerous strikers in women's football. Beyond her scoring prowess, her movement and ability to occupy space make her a formidable opponent. In the 2021/22 Division 1 Feminine, she won both the Golden Boot and Player of the Year awards.
8. Jennifer Hermoso
Jennifer Hermoso, a 32-year-old Spanish footballer, had an incredible season in 2020/21, scoring 16 goals as Barcelona won the league trophy and reached the UEFA Women's Champions League final. Although her scoring form wasn't quite as prolific in the following year, she still performed well. After leaving Barcelona last summer, she joined Liga MX team Pachuca, where she continues to play at a high level, albeit more as a number 10 than a number 9 due to her age.
9. Mapi Leon
Mapi Leon is an integral defender for Barcelona, providing support in both stealing the ball and distributing it upfield to the midfielders and forwards. She's an aggressive player who likes to challenge attackers and put them under pressure, blocking passing lanes and making interceptions. Leon has spent five years with Barcelona, helping them win three league titles and reach back-to-back UEFA Women's Champions League finals.
10. Ada Hegerberg
Ada Hegerberg, a Norwegian footballer, had a difficult two years due to an ACL injury that kept her off the field for nearly 21 months. However, she returned to the starting lineup and began scoring goals and making assists for Lyon. In the Champions League final against Barcelona, she scored a crucial goal to help Lyon win the trophy. She also made a successful return to the Norwegian national team, scoring a hat-trick in her first game back.
Who is the Best Female Football Player in the World?
Alexia Putellas Segura, known in Catalan as Alèxia Putellas i Segura, is a Spanish footballer who serves as the captain and midfielder for both the Spain national team and Barcelona. Before joining Barcelona, she played for Espanyol and Levante, and has represented Catalonia. By 2022, she had won all the major club and individual awards available to a European player, cementing her reputation as one of the greatest female footballers of all time and the best contemporary player in the world.
Since 2012, Putellas has been a vital part of Barcelona's team, leading them to six league titles, seven Copas de la Reina, and their first-ever UEFA Women's Champions League title. In the 2020-21 season, she played a key role in Barcelona's historic continental treble, which included their first-ever Champions League victory. Her performance earned her the UEFA Women's Player of the Year Award, Ballon d'Or Féminin, and The Best FIFA Women's Player in 2021, making her the first player to win all three in the same year. In 2022, despite missing the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 due to injury, she won all three awards again, making her the first woman to win any of them consecutively.
On the international stage, Putellas achieved success with Spain's youth national teams, winning two UEFA Women's U-17 Euros in 2010 and 2011 and finishing as runners-up in the 2012 UEFA Women's U-19 Euro. She made her debut for the senior national team in 2013 and has since participated in three major international competitions, including Spain's debut in the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2015, the 2017 UEFA Women's Euro, and the 2019 World Cup.
Conclusion
Women's football has come a long way, and these top 10 female football players have helped the sport grow and achieve the recognition it deserves. From Alexia Putellas, who has won several prestigious awards, to Sam Kerr, who has made history by winning the Golden Boot awards in three different continents, these women have proven themselves to be exceptional athletes with unique skills and abilities. It is clear that women's football is here to stay, and we can expect to see more talented players emerge in the future.
Best Female Football Players in the World 2023 - FAQs
Alexia Putellas is currently regarded as the best female football player in the world. She has received several prestigious awards, including the Ballon d'Or Feminin, The Best FIFA Women's Player, and UEFA Women's Player of the Year in both 2021 and 2022.
Barcelona has broken the record for the highest attendance in women's football twice in 2022 when they hosted the UEFA Women's Champions League games at the Camp Nou.
Sam Kerr is a striker for both Chelsea in England and the Australian national team. She was named the 2021/22 PFA Players' Player of the Year in recognition of her outstanding and consistent performances.
Catarina Macario is being hailed as one of the brightest stars for the future of the US women's national football team. Although she was born in Brazil, Macario moved to the United States at the age of 12 with her father and brother, determined to pursue her dream of playing professional football.
Vivianne Miedema is considered one of the most talented forwards in women's football, with a natural ability to score goals. She currently plays for Arsenal and the Netherlands national team.