The 18 Best Female Soccer Players Of All Time (2024)

September 1, 2018, marks just 279 days until the FIFA Women’s World Cup kicks off at the Parc des Princes in Paris. The competition at the event has never been stronger or deeper, and those who illuminate the tournament will rightly be elevated to the status of legend. Historically, the best female soccer players of all time have earned that moniker by dominating one of the seven previous editions of the tournament.

With the World Cup serving as our primary barometer of greatness, here’s an attempt at an extremely difficult exercise: selecting 18 of the best female soccer players of all time. Unfortunately, some incredibly fine margins have resulted in some contentious decisions, and we’ve decided to leave goalkeepers out of this conversation.

The 18 Best Female Soccer Players Of All Time

#18. Cristiane | Brazil

Embed from Getty Images

With 135 caps and 90 goals for Brazil, Cristiane is second all time in both categories for the Seleção. The forward is only 33, but she’s already played in four World Cups (she was awarded the Bronze Ball at the '07 tournament) and four editions of the Olympic Games, winning the silver medal in both ’04 and ’08.

Her club career has included stints in Brazil, Germany, Sweden, America, Russia, South Korea, France and China.

#17. Alex Morgan | USWNT

Embed from Getty Images

Alex Morgan has been the face of the USWNT since recording a staggering total of 28 goals in 31 appearances in 2012, the year in which she inspired her nation to gold in London. She’s scored 90 goals in her international career and has since added a World Cup winner’s medal to her collection. In 2013, she was named to the USWNT All-Time Best XI.

Still only 29 years of age, Morgan will be a key performer for the U.S. in France, and she'll certainly only climb this list over the next couple of years.

#16. Bettina Wiegmann | Germany

Embed from Getty Images

One of the greatest midfielders in the history of the women’s game, Bettina Wiegmann appeared 154 times for Germany and appeared at four World Cups, including Germany’s victory at the 2003 tournament, where she was named to the All-Star team.

She was also a four-time winner of the European Championship and a bronze medalist at the 2000 Summer Games. In World Cup and Olympic matches, she scored 14 goals in 30 matches.

#15. Joy Fawcett | USWNT

Embed from Getty Images

An iron woman for the U.S., Fawcett played every minute of the ’95, ’99, and ’03 World Cups as well as doing the same at the ’96 and 2000 Olympics. With 27 goals in 241 caps, she retired as the United States’ highest scoring defender of all time.

#14. Hege Riise | Norway

Embed from Getty Images

Riise is one of only three women to have won the World Cup, an Olympic gold (the 2000 Games) and a European Championship. She inspired her nation to glory at the ’95 World Cup, capturing the tournament’s Golden Ball award and Silver Shoe.

#13. Heidi Mohr | Germany

Embed from Getty Images

A three-time European Championship winner and the Silver Shoe recipient at the ’91 World Cup, Mohr’s record of 83 goals in 104 appearances gives her one of the finest strike rates in international football history. In voting for the women’s player of the century, Mohr finished third.

#12. Julie Foudy | USWNT

Embed from Getty Images

Foudy’s record speaks for itself: 274 caps, 45 goals, a two-time World Cup winner, a two-time gold medalist and an additional silver medal. In 1997, she was also the first woman to receive FIFA’s Fair Play Award, joining the likes of Gary Lineker, George Weah and Jorginho.

#11. Christie Pearce (formerly Rampone) | USWNT

Embed from Getty Images

Pearce’s total of 311 international appearances is second all time in the history of soccer. As a two-time World Cup champion and three-time Olympic gold medalist, the former USWNT captain is arguably the greatest defender in the history of the women’s game.

#10. Sun Wen | China

Embed from Getty Images

In 2000, Sun Wen was named the FIFA Female Player of the Century alongside Michelle Akers. Her performance at the 1999 World Cup is the stuff of legend — she was awarded the Golden Ball, finished joint-leading scorer with seven goals and converted China’s final spot kick before Brandi Chastain broke Chinese hearts.

#9. Carli Lloyd | USWNT

Embed from Getty Images

Lloyd’s a two-time FIFA Women’s Player of the Year, but she’s renowned for her performances in soccer’s biggest matches. She scored the gold medal-winning goals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, but that’s all eclipsed by the legendary hat-trick she scored against Japan in the final of the 2015 World Cup. She’s made 257 appearances for the U.S. and scored a century of goals.

#8. Homare Sawa | Japan

Embed from Getty Images

Alongside Brazil’s Formiga, Sawa is the only player to appear at six World Cups. She’s best remembered for her performance at the 2011 tournament, when she led Japan to the title while winning the Golden Ball and the Golden Shoe — two accolades which subsequently led to her being the the FIFA World Player of the Year.

The impossibly skilled midfielder scored 83 goals in 205 appearances for her country.

#7. Kristine Lilly | USWNT

Embed from Getty Images

With 352 international caps, Lilly is the all-time leader for either gender. Her international career spanned 23 years, and she also chipped in with 130 goals.

#6. Michelle Akers | USWNT

Embed from Getty Images

Voted the FIFA Female Player of the Century alongside Sun Wen in 2002, Akers is a two-time World Cup champion, including a finish as the top scorer at the ’91 tournament. Alongside Mia Hamm, she was one of only two female players selected to the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living soccer players that was selected by Pele.

#5. Brigit Prinz | Germany

Embed from Getty Images

A three-time FIFA World Player of the Year and two-time World Cup champion, Prinz is the finest German international of all-time. She recorded 128 goals in 214 appearances for her country and was a three-time bronze medalist. She also finished runner-up four times in FIFA World Player of the Year voting.

Her total of 14 World Cup goals is good for joint-second all time.

#4. Abby Wambach | USWNT

Embed from Getty Images

A six-time winner of the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award, Wambach was also awarded the 2012 FIFA World Player of the Year award. With 184 goals, the New York native is the leading goal scorer in international soccer history.

#3. Christine Sinclair | Canada

Embed from Getty Images

Hot on the heels of Wambach’s international total is Canadian Christine Sinclair, who’s still active at the age of 35 and has 173 goals in 265 caps. She was instrumental in leading Canada to a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics, finishing as the tournament’s Golden Boot winner.

#2. Mia Hamm | USWNT

Embed from Getty Images

An icon of the women’s game, Hamm won two gold medals and twice lifted the World Cup. She’s third all time in international goals with 158, and she was twice named the FIFA World Player of the Year. She also won the U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year for five straight years, a mark that’ll surely never be matched.

#1. Marta | Brazil

Embed from Getty Images

Marta’s been named the FIFA World Player of the Year on five occasions, more than any other female footballer. She’s also finished runner-up on four occasions and in third place twice, so her consistency in being absolutely brilliant is entirely unmatched.

She’s also the all-time leading scorer at World Cups with 15 goals. She inspired her nation to a runners-up finish at the 2007 World Cup and the silver medal at both the 2004 and 2008 Olympics.

The18 Recommends For You

  • Alexis Sanchez Goal vs Manchester United

  • N.C. State Player Scores Ridiculous Bicycle Kick

The 18 Best Female Soccer Players Of All Time (2024)

FAQs

Who is the greatest female footballer of all time? ›

Marta Vieira da Silva (born 19 February 1986), known as Marta ([ˈmaʁtɐ]), is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for the Orlando Pride in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the Brazil national team. Marta is often regarded as the greatest female footballer of all time.

Who is the 18 year old female footballer? ›

At just 18 years old, Colombia's Linda Caicedo is poised for a breakout tournament at the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023™.

Who is the 17 year old women's soccer player? ›

At 17 years and 334 days old, Thompson became the 70th teenager all-time to earn a cap for the USWNT and the youngest player to debut for the USA since January of 2016 when Mallory Pugh made her debut at 17 years and 269 days of age.

Is Alex Morgan's husband a soccer player? ›

Who is the fastest female footballer? ›

Fastest female footballers
  • Amel Majri - 29.29 km/h - 2020. ...
  • Lucy Bronze - 29.24 km/h - 2020. ...
  • Nikita Parris - 29.21 km/h - 2020. ...
  • Shanice van de Sanden - 29.12 km/h - 2020. ...
  • Anna Blasse - 29.03 km/h - 2020. ...
  • Ali Krieger - 34.7 km/h - 2015. ...
  • Carli Lloyd - 30.1 km/h - 2015. ...
  • Alex Morgan - 29.44 km/h - 2010.

Who is the top female soccer scorer? ›

This page lists the top all-time female goal scorers in official international football matches for their country. Christine Sinclair of Canada is currently the active player (among both women and men) with the most goals in international football with 190 goals. She also holds the highest record of all time.

Who is the oldest female footballer? ›

Still playing at age 75, Carol Askew is the world's oldest competitive female football player.

Who is the oldest woman to ever play in the World Cup? ›

Brazil great Formiga is the Women's World Cup oldest-ever player – the midfielder was aged 41 years and 112 days when she played in her nation's round-of-16 clash with tournament hosts France four years ago.

Who is the 16 year old female soccer player? ›

When Lily Yohannes made her Women's Champions League debut she also became, at the age of 16, the youngest player ever to start a group stage match in the competition.

Who is number 19 in women's soccer? ›

Crystal Dunn | USWNT | U.S. Soccer Official Site.

Who is a famous soccer player girl? ›

Wins by player
PlayerWinnerSecond place
Mia Hamm2 (2001, 2002)2 (2003, 2004)
Carli Lloyd2 (2015, 2016)1 (2017)
Alexia Putellas2 (2021, 2022)
Abby Wambach1 (2012)1 (2013)
9 more rows

Did 15 year olds beat womens soccer team? ›

In preparation for two upcoming friendlies against Russia, the U.S. women's national team played the FC Dallas U-15 boys academy team on Sunday and fell 5-2, according to FC Dallas' official website. This friendly came as the U.S. looked to tune up before taking on Russia on Thursday night in a friendly.

How many Ballon d'Or does Alex Morgan have? ›

Wins by player
PlayerWinnerThird place
Beth Mead
Dzsenifer Marozsán1 (2018)
Alex Morgan1 (2019)
Salma Paralluelo1 (2023)
8 more rows

Is Alex Morgan good at soccer? ›

Twice named U.S. Soccer's Female Athlete of the Year (2012, 2018), Morgan is also a four-time Concacaf Player of the Year (2013, 2016, 2017, 2018), a five-time FIFA FIFPRO Women's World 11 selection (2016 ,2017, 2019, 2021, 2022) and a three-time finalist for FIFA World Player of the Year (2012, 2019, 2022).

How many World Cups has Alex Morgan won? ›

She helped the U.S. Women's National Team (USWNT) win two World Cups (2015 and 2019) as well as a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Who is World No 1 in women's football? ›

Leaders. As of the 15 December 2023 rankings release, Spain is the number one ranked team.

Who is the most popular female footballer? ›

Most Followed Female Soccer Players:
  • Deyna Castellanos – 1.7 million.
  • Sam Kerr – 1.8 million.
  • Norma Palafox – 2.2 million.
  • Marta – 2.8 million.
  • Alexia Putellas - 3.3 million.
  • Ana Markovic – 3.3 million.
  • Alex Morgan – 10.1 million.
  • Alisha Lehmann – 17 million.

Who is the most accomplished female soccer player? ›

Marta. Considered by many as the undisputed greatest player in the history of women's soccer. With an impressive streak of five consecutive World Player of the Year awards from 2006 to 2010, Marta remains unmatched in her accolades.

Who is the highest bought female footballer? ›

Racheal Kundananji currently holds the record following her $860,000 (£685,000) move from Madrid CFF to Bay FC last month.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Lilliana Bartoletti

Last Updated:

Views: 5968

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (73 voted)

Reviews: 88% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Lilliana Bartoletti

Birthday: 1999-11-18

Address: 58866 Tricia Spurs, North Melvinberg, HI 91346-3774

Phone: +50616620367928

Job: Real-Estate Liaison

Hobby: Graffiti, Astronomy, Handball, Magic, Origami, Fashion, Foreign language learning

Introduction: My name is Lilliana Bartoletti, I am a adventurous, pleasant, shiny, beautiful, handsome, zealous, tasty person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.