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England women's national football team
England
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) The Lionesses[1]
Association The Football Association
Confederation UEFA (Europe)
Head coach Sarina Wiegman
Captain Leah Williamson[2]
Most caps Fara Williams (172)
Top scorer Ellen White (52)
FIFA code ENG
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 4 Increase 4 (5 August 2022)[3]
Highest 2 (March 2018)
Lowest 14 (June 2004)
First international
Scotland 2–3 England
(Greenock, Scotland; 18 November 1972)
Biggest win
England 20–0 Latvia
(Doncaster, England; 30 November 2021)
Biggest defeat
Norway 8–0 England
(Moss, Norway; 4 June 2000)
World Cup
Appearances 5 (first in 1995)
Best result Third place (2015)
European Championship
Appearances 9 (first in 1984)
Best result Champions (2022)
Medal record
The England women's national football team, also known as the Lionesses, have been governed by the Football Association (FA) since 1993, having been previously administered by the Women's Football Association (WFA). England played its first international match in November 1972 against Scotland. Although most national football teams represent a sovereign state, England is permitted by FIFA statutes, as a member of the United Kingdom's Home Nations, to maintain a national side that competes in all major tournaments, with the exception of the Women's Olympic Football Tournament.
England have qualified for the FIFA Women's World Cup five times, reaching the quarter-finals in 1995, 2007 and 2011, finishing third in 2015 and fourth in 2019. They reached the final of the UEFA Women's Championship in 1984 and 2009, and won in 2022, marking the first time since 1966 that any England senior football team had won a major championship.
History
See also: History of women's football in England
Early years
The success of the men's national football team at the 1966 FIFA World Cup led to an upsurge of interest in football from women within England. The Women's Football Association (WFA) was established in 1969 as an attempt to organise the women's game.[4] That same year, Harry Batt formed an independent English team that competed in the Fédération Internationale Européenne de Football Féminine (FIEFF) European Cup.[5]: 43 Batt's team also participated in two FIEFF World Cups held in Italy (1970) and Mexico (1971).[6][7]
Following an UEFA recommendation in 1972 for national associations to incorporate the women's game, the Football Association (FA) later that year rescinded its ban on women playing on English Football League grounds.[8][9] Shortly after, Eric Worthington was tasked by the WFA to assemble an official women's national team. England competed in its first international match against Scotland in Greenock on 18 November 1972, 100 years to the month after the first men's international.[4][10] The team overturned a two-goal deficit to defeat their northern opponents 3–2, with Sylvia Gore scoring England's first international goal.[11] Pat Firth scored a hat-trick in an international against Scotland in 1973 among the 8–0 scoreline.[12] Tom Tranter replaced Worthington as long term manager of the women's national football team and remained in that position for the next six years.[5]: 94
1979–1993: Progress under Reagan
Martin Reagan was appointed to replace Tranter in 1979.[5]: 100 England reached the final of the inaugural European Competition for Women's Football, in 1984, after beating Denmark 3–1 on aggregate in the semi-finals. Despite resolute defending, including a spectacular goal line clearance from captain Carol Thomas, the England team lost the first away leg 1–0 against Sweden, after a header from Pia Sundhage, but won the second home leg by the same margin, with a goal from Linda Curl.[13] England lost the subsequent penalty shootout 4–3. Theresa Wiseman saved Helen Johansson's penalty but both Curl and Lorraine Hanson had their spot kicks saved by Elisabeth Leidinge.[14]
At the 1987 European Competition for Women's Football, England again reached the semi-finals but lost 3–2 after extra time against holders Sweden, in a repeat of the previous final. The team settled for fourth, after losing the third place play-off against Italy 2–1.[15] Reagan was sacked after England's 6–1 quarter-final loss against Germany at UEFA Women's Euro 1991, which left them unable to qualify for the inaugural FIFA Women's World Cup. John Bilton was appointed as head coach in 1991 after Barrie Williams's brief tenure.[5]: 103–104
1993–1998: FA involvement
In 1993, the FA took over the running of women's football in England from the WFA, replacing Bilton with Ted Copeland as national team manager.[5]: 105 England managed to qualify for UEFA Women's Euro 1995, having previously missed out on the last three editions, but were beaten 6–2 on aggregate over two legs against Germany.[16] Reaching the European semi-finals granted England a place at the World Cup for the first time. The team advanced from the group stage of the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup in Sweden, but lost out again to Germany 3–0 in the quarter-finals.[17]
1998–2013: Development under Powell
Hope Powell became the team's first full-time head coach in June 1998, succeeding her former coach Copeland.[18] The European Championship expanded in 1997 to eight teams and moved from a biennial event to a quadrennial one. England qualified via the play-offs for the 2001 competition held in Germany, despite recording their biggest loss (away against Norway 8–0) during qualification, but did not advance past the group stage.[19] England automatically qualified as hosts in 2005, but again did not make it to the semi-finals.[20]
Qualification for the World Cup changed for the 1999 edition. European qualifiers were introduced, so that teams no longer needed to rely on advancing to the latter stages of the European Championship. England qualified unbeaten for the 2007 World Cup in China, winning Group 5 in the European qualifiers and recording their biggest win (away against Hungary, 13–0) in the process, ending a 12-year hiatus from the competition.[21][22] After coming second in their group, they advanced into the quarter-finals to face the United States but lost 3–0.[23]
In May 2009, central contracts were implemented to help players focus on full-time training without having to fit it around full-time employment.[24][25] Three months later, at the European Championships in Finland, England marked their return to the recently expanded 12-team competition by reaching the final for the first time in 25 years. They advanced from Group C to the quarter-finals by virtue of being the top third-placed team, beating both the hosts and the Netherlands in the knockout stage on the way to the final. There they lost 6–2 to reigning champions Germany.[26]
England reached their third World Cup in 2011, having won Group 5 and their play-off 5–2 over two legs against Switzerland.[27][28] In Germany, they topped Group B – ahead of eventual winners Japan.[29] England were paired with France in the quarter-finals, with the match ending in a 1–1 draw. England had taken the lead with Jill Scott's chip, only to have Élise Bussaglia equalise with two minutes remaining. After extra time ended in stalemate, they lost the ensuing penalty shootout 4–3. Karen Bardsley had saved Camille Abily's initial penalty but misses by Claire Rafferty and Faye White sent England out of the competition.[30]
Powell left the role in August 2013 after a poor showing at the UEFA Women's Euro 2013, with England bowing out after the group stage.[18]
2013–2017: Sampson era
Welshman Mark Sampson succeeded Powell as England manager. England qualified for their third successive World Cup in August 2014 with a game to spare, winning all ten matches and topping Group 6.[31] England played their first international match at the new Wembley Stadium, home to the men's national team, in a friendly against the reigning European champions Germany on 23 November 2014. England had not played Germany since their heavy defeat in the European Championship final five years earlier. They lost the match 3–0, marking the 20th attempt at which England had failed to record an official win over Germany.[32][33]
At the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada, England lost their opening group game to France but won their remaining group games against Mexico and Colombia, easing through to the last 16 to play 1995 champions Norway. A 2–1 win set up a meeting with hosts Canada in the quarter-finals. Despite facing not only a strong Canadian team but a capacity partisan crowd at BC Place in Vancouver, England progressed to the semifinals of the Women's World Cup for the first time in their history with another 2–1 win, which also marked the first semifinal appearance by any England senior team since the men reached the last four of the 1990 World Cup in Italy. Playing reigning World Cup holders Japan in the semi-finals, England conceded a penalty kick, which Aya Miyama converted past Karen Bardsley. Japan then conceded a penalty as Yuki Ogimi clipped Steph Houghton and Fara Williams slotted it past Ayumi Kaihori to level the game. However, in the last minute of the game, Laura Bassett scored an own goal to send Japan through to the final.[34] England eventually finished in third place by beating Germany 1–0 after extra time after a Williams penalty, their first time beating their archrivals in the women's game. It marked the best finish for any England senior team since the men's team famously won the 1966 World Cup as hosts.[35]
England qualified for the UEFA Women's Euro 2017 in the Netherlands and won all three of their group games at the tournament. England beat France 1–0 in the quarter-finals before meeting hosts and eventual champions, the Netherlands. In the semi-finals, England conceded three goals without reply and were knocked out of the tournament.[36]
In September 2017, Sampson was sacked from his role as manager by the FA after evidence of "inappropriate and unacceptable" behaviour was uncovered during his tenure at Bristol Academy.[37] The FA in January 2019 agreed to pay a "significant" financial settlement to Sampson, on the week his claim for unfair dismissal was due to be heard in court.[38] He was replaced by Phil Neville, who had played at Manchester United – including in their 1999 treble winning season – and Everton and been capped by the England men but had never before held a high-profile managing job.
2018–2021: Neville era
National team during 2019 Women's World Cup.
After being appointed manager, Neville's first games in charge were at the 2018 SheBelieves Cup. In their first game, England defeated France 4–1, then drew 2–2 against Germany. They went into the final game against the United States with the opportunity to win the tournament, but lost 1–0. Second place was the highest England had finished at the SheBelieves Cup.[39]
England continued with World Cup qualification in 2018. On 6 April they drew 0–0 against Wales. After the qualifying games in June, England and Wales were guaranteed the first two spots in qualifying Group 1,[40] and England's 3–0 win against Wales in August 2018 saw them clinch the group and qualify for the World Cup finals.[41]
In the 2019 SheBelieves Cup, England won the tournament for the first time after winning their first match 2–1 against Brazil, drawing 2–2 with the United States and defeating Japan 3–0.[42]
In the 2019 Women's World Cup in France, England won group D, beating local rivals Scotland and archrival Argentina to qualify for the knockout phase, before beating Japan. England beat both Cameroon and then Norway 3–0 to advance to the semifinal against United States in Lyon – the team's third straight major tournament semifinal. However, similar to the previous two tournaments, England once again failed to make the final, losing 2–1. Alex Morgan scored the winner after Ellen White had equalised following Christen Press' opening goal, while White had an equaliser ruled out by VAR and Houghton had a penalty saved by Alyssa Naeher. The team finished in fourth after losing the third place play-off to Sweden 2–1.[43]
In March 2019 Winsford was chosen for the site of the £70m Cheshire FA Centre of Excellence, which will be the new home of the England Women's Football Team. It will also act as a training base for European teams playing in Liverpool and Manchester. The development was delayed by the CVID-19 pandemic in April 2020. In October 2020 the Prime Minister Boris Johnson gave his support for the development to go ahead; planning applications are expected to be submitted to Cheshire West and Chester Council in spring 2021 with a possible opening date of 2023. The site is being designed to revolutionise women's football in England.[44]
In the wake of the World Cup exit, England's form dropped as the team struggled in a series of friendlies to end the year including a 2–1 defeat by Germany at Wembley Stadium on 9 November 2019. The game set a new record attendance for an England women's match at 77,768, becoming the second-biggest crowd for a women's game on English soil after the 2012 Olympic final which was watched by 80,203 at the same venue.[45] The poor run continued into 2020 as England failed to defend their title at the 2020 SheBelieves Cup in March. Losses to the United States and Spain made it seven defeats in 11 games, the team's worst stretch since 2003, mounting further pressure on Neville who admitted he was personally responsible for England's "unacceptable" form amid increased media scrutiny.[46][47][48][49] In April 2020, Neville announced he would step down as manager when his contract expired in July 2021. Originally his tenure would have extended to England's hosting of UEFA Women's Euro 2021, but the tournament was postponed by a year due to the CVID-19 pandemic.[50] However, in January 2021, he elected to resign early in order to take up the managerial position at Inter Miami, the Major League Soccer club founded by previous England men's captain David Beckham.[51][52] As it had already been agreed that incumbent Netherlands manager Sarina Wiegman would be appointed to the role from September 2021, Hege Riise was named caretaker manager until then.[53] She oversaw a 6–0 friendly win over Northern Ireland in her first game in charge.[54]
From 2021: Wiegman era
On 14 August 2020, the FA announced it had reached a four-year deal with incumbent Netherlands manager Sarina Wiegman, who agreed to take over the team from September 2021, becoming the first non-British permanent manager.[55][56] On 30 November 2021, during qualification for the 2023 FIFA World Cup, Ellen White became England's all-time record goals scorer (overtaking Kelly Smith), during a 20–0 win over Latvia, in which she scored a hat-trick. The game was a multi-record breaking game as three other players scored a hat-trick (Mead, Hemp (scored 4), and Russo), marking the first time four players had scored a hat-trick in a senior England women's game. The game was also the largest victory for either the men's or women's senior England sides, surpassing the women's team's 2005 13–0 win against Hungary and the men's 1882 13–0 win against Ireland.[57]
England were drawn into Group A of Women's Euro 2022 as hosts and won each of the group stage matches: 1–0 against Austria at Old Trafford in Manchester;[58] 8–0 against Norway at the Falmer Stadium in Brighton and Hove (a new European Championship record score);[59] and 5–0 against Northern Ireland at St Mary's Stadium in Southampton.[60] In the quarter-final, England recovered from being a goal behind against Spain to win 2–1 in extra time at the Falmer Stadium.[61] In the semi-final at Bramall Lane in Sheffield, they defeated Sweden 4–0, the highlight of this match being a goal scored by Alessia Russo with an "instinctive backheel".[62]
No more years of hurt! No more need for dreaming, because dreams have become reality at Wembley! After 56 long years, it is glory against Germany once again, and this time, it yields history of its own because the Lionesses have finally won their first major trophy! England are European champions, and...(Pauses, crowd in background sings, "It's coming home, it's coming home, it's coming, football's coming home!" chorus from Three Lions)
Vicki Sparks's radio call at the final whistle of the Women's Euro 2022 Final on BBC Radio 5 Live[63]
On 31 July, England defeated Germany 2–1 in extra time in the Women's Euro 2022 Final at Wembley, with Chloe Kelly's 110th-minute close-range goal from a corner being the decider after goals in normal time by Ella Toone for England and Lina Magull for Germany. It was the team's first-ever major trophy and was the first major international championship won by an England team (men's or women's) since 1966.[64] The final was played in front of 87,192 people – a record crowd for a men's or women's UEFA European Championship match.[65]
Soon after Euro 2022, the England players wrote an open letter to Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, the candidates in the ongoing Conservative Party leadership election, in which they declared their "legacy and goal was to inspire a nation". They saw their victory "as only the beginning". The letter pointed out that only 63% of British girls could play football in school PE lessons and concluded: "We – the 23 members of the England Senior Women's EURO Squad – ask you to make it a priority to invest in girls' football in schools, so that every girl has the choice".[66][67]
Team image
Nickname
The England women's national football team is widely nicknamed the Lionesses. The moniker was developed in-house by The Football Association's digital marketing department as a way of increasing the visibility and reach of the women's team to a dedicated women's football audience and community, particularly on social media. It was first used as a hashtag in June 2012 when the men's team was competing in UEFA Euro 2012 at the same time the women's team was playing a crucial UEFA Women's Euro 2013 qualifier against Netherlands in a bid to help differentiate the coverage and allow people to follow the women's team more easily without getting lost in conversation about the men which was using the same generic #ThreeLions branding at the time. The name started to be used organically by fans and media outlets before The Football Association adopted it as an official brand identity, including with commercial and licensing partners, ahead of the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.[68][69]
The name was also used in an updated version of the popular English anthem "Three Lions" during England's ultimately successful Women's Euro 2022 run, which Fara Williams, Rachel Yankey, Faye White, Rachel Brown and Anita Asante performed along with Chelcee Grimes and original artists Lightning Seeds and David Baddiel (with another original artist, Frank Skinner, in attendance).[70]
Media coverage
England matches at selected international tournaments, friendlies, Euro and World Cup finals are now currently broadcast by ITV Sport (excluding Euro and World Cup finals) and BBC respectively.[71][72] Previously, the Euro and World Cup finals were broadcast by Channel 4 (Euro 2017 only) and Eurosport.
Results and fixtures
Main article: England women's national football team results (2020–present)
Further information: 2021–22 in English football and 2022–23 in English football
This list includes match results from the past 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
All times are listed in GMT except where noted.
Legend
Win Draw Lose Void or Postponed Fixture
2021
17 September 20212023 World Cup qualifying England 8–0 North Macedonia Southampton, England
21 September 20212023 World Cup qualifying Luxembourg 0–10 England Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
23 October 20212023 World Cup qualifying England 4–0 Northern Ireland London, England
26 October 20212023 World Cup qualifying Latvia 0–10 England Riga, Latvia
27 November 20212023 World Cup qualifying England 1–0 Austria Sunderland, England
30 November 20212023 World Cup qualifying England 20–0 Latvia Doncaster, England
2022
17 February 20222022 Arnold Clark Cup England 1–1 Canada Middlesbrough, England
20 February 20222022 Arnold Clark Cup England 0–0 Spain Norwich, England
23 February 20222022 Arnold Clark Cup England 3–1 Germany Wolverhampton, England
8 April 20222023 World Cup qualifying North Macedonia 0–10 England Skopje, North Macedonia
12 April 20222023 World Cup qualifying Northern Ireland 0–5 England Belfast, Northern Ireland
16 June 2022Friendly England 3–0 Belgium Wolverhampton, England
24 June 2022Friendly England 5–1 Netherlands Leeds, England
30 June 2022Friendly Switzerland 0–4 England Zürich, Switzerland
6 July 2022UEFA Euro 2022 GS England 1–0 Austria Manchester, England
11 July 2022UEFA Euro 2022 GS England 8–0 Norway Brighton and Hove, England
15 July 2022UEFA Euro 2022 GS Northern Ireland 0–5 England Southampton, England
20 July 2022UEFA Euro 2022 QF England 2–1 (a.e.t.) Spain Brighton and Hove, England
26 July 2022UEFA Euro 2022 SF England 4–0 Sweden Sheffield, England
31 July 2022UEFA Euro 2022 Final England 2–1 (a.e.t.) Germany London, England
3 September 20222023 World Cup qualifying Austria v England Wiener Neustadt, Austria
6 September 20222023 World Cup qualifying England v Luxembourg Stoke-on-Trent, England
7 October 2022Friendly England v United States London, England
2023
February 2023UEFA–CONMEBOL Women's Finalissima England v Brazil TBC (Europe)
Coaching staff
Current information
As of 10 August 2021
Position Staff Ref.
Manager Sarina Wiegman [73]
Assistant manager Arjan Veurink [74]
Managerial history
See also: Category:England women's national football team managers
As of 26 July 2022
Image Manager Tenure P W D L Win % Competitions
England Eric Worthington 1972
England Tom Tranter 1973–1979
England Mike Rawding 1979
England Martin Reagan 1979–1990 Euro 1984 runners-up
Euro 1987 fourth place
Wales Barrie Williams 1991
England John Bilton 1991–1993
England Ted Copeland 1993–1998 Euro 1995 semi-finals
1995 World Cup quarter-finals
England Dick Bate 1998
(caretaker)
London Bees v Brighton & Hove Albion WFC, 18 April 2018 (11).jpg England Hope Powell 1998–2013 169 85 33 51 50.3 Euro 2001 group stage
Euro 2005 group stage
2007 World Cup quarter-finals
Euro 2009 runners-up
2011 World Cup quarter-finals
Euro 2013 group stage
England Brent Hills 2006, 2013
(caretaker) 5 4 0 1 80.0
Mark Sampson, England Ladies v Montenegro 5 4 2014 1058 (cropped).jpg Wales Mark Sampson 2013–2017 60 39 8 13 65.0 2015 World Cup third place
Euro 2017 semi-finals
England Mo Marley 2017–2018
(caretaker) 3 2 0 1 66.7
England Women 0 New Zealand Women 1 01 06 2019-1360 (47986481842) (cropped).jpg England Phil Neville 2018–2021 35 19 5 11 54.3 2019 World Cup fourth place
Hege Riise (2017).jpg Norway Hege Riise 2021
(caretaker) 3 1 0 2 33.3
Sarina Wiegman trains the Dutch national team.jpg Netherlands Sarina Wiegman 2021– 19 17 2 0 89.5 Euro 2022 Champions
Players
For all past and present players who have appeared for the national team, see List of England women's international footballers.
Caps, goals, and recent players may be outdated or incorrect, as the FA does not maintain a database of historical statistics.
Current squad
23 players were named to the squad for UEFA Women's Euro 2022. This included preceding friendlies against Belgium, Netherlands and Switzerland.[75]
Caps and goals are correct as of match played 31 July 2022 against Germany.
No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 GK Mary Earps 7 March 1993 (age 29) 25 0 England Manchester United
13 GK Hannah Hampton 16 November 2000 (age 21) 2 0 England Aston Villa
21 GK Ellie Roebuck 23 September 1999 (age 22) 8 0 England Manchester City
2 DF Lucy Bronze 28 October 1991 (age 30) 96 11 Spain Barcelona
3 DF Rachel Daly 6 December 1991 (age 30) 57 8 United States Houston Dash
5 DF Alex Greenwood 7 September 1993 (age 28) 66 5 England Manchester City
6 DF Millie Bright 21 August 1993 (age 28) 58 5 England Chelsea
12 DF Jess Carter 17 October 1997 (age 24) 11 1 England Chelsea
15 DF Demi Stokes 12 December 1991 (age 30) 67 1 England Manchester City
22 DF Lotte Wubben-Moy 11 January 1999 (age 23) 8 0 England Arsenal
4 MF Keira Walsh 8 April 1997 (age 25) 48 0 England Manchester City
8 MF Leah Williamson (captain) 29 March 1997 (age 25) 37 2 England Arsenal
10 MF Georgia Stanway 3 January 1999 (age 23) 40 11 Germany Bayern Munich
14 MF Fran Kirby 29 June 1993 (age 29) 63 17 England Chelsea
16 MF Jill Scott 2 February 1987 (age 35) 161 27 Unattached
20 MF Ella Toone 2 September 1999 (age 22) 21 13 England Manchester United
7 FW Beth Mead 9 May 1995 (age 27) 45 28 England Arsenal
9 FW Ellen White 9 May 1989 (age 33) 113 52 England Manchester City
11 FW Lauren Hemp 7 August 2000 (age 22) 28 8 England Manchester City
17 FW Nikita Parris 10 March 1994 (age 28) 67 15 England Manchester United
18 FW Chloe Kelly 15 January 1998 (age 24) 16 2 England Manchester City
19 FW Bethany England 3 June 1994 (age 28) 19 9 England Chelsea
23 FW Alessia Russo 8 February 1999 (age 23) 13 8 England Manchester United
Recent call-ups
The following players have also been called up to the England squad within the last 12 months.
Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Sandy MacIver 18 June 1998 (age 24) 1 0 England Manchester City UEFA Women's Euro 2022 PRE
GK Carly Telford 7 July 1987 (age 35) 27 0 United States San Diego Wave v. Luxembourg, 21 September 2021
DF Steph Houghton 23 April 1988 (age 34) 121 13 England Manchester City UEFA Women's Euro 2022 PRE
DF Niamh Charles 21 June 1999 (age 23) 2 0 England Chelsea UEFA Women's Euro 2022 PRE
DF Gabby George 2 February 1997 (age 25) 2 0 England Everton v. Northern Ireland , 12 April 2022
DF Esme Morgan 18 October 2000 (age 21) 0 0 England Manchester City v. North Macedonia, 17 September 2021 INJ
MF Lucy Staniforth 2 October 1992 (age 29) 17 2 England Manchester United UEFA Women's Euro 2022 PRE
MF Katie Zelem 20 January 1996 (age 26) 2 0 England Manchester United UEFA Women's Euro 2022 PRE
MF Jordan Nobbs 8 December 1992 (age 29) 69 8 England Arsenal v. Northern Ireland , 12 April 2022
FW Ebony Salmon 27 January 2001 (age 21) 1 0 United States Houston Dash v. Luxembourg, 21 September 2021
INJ = Withdrew due to injury
COV = Withdrew due to CVID-19
PRE = Preliminary squad
Team captains
Player Captaincy tenure
Sheila Parker 1972–1976
Carol Thomas (née McCune) 1976–1985
Debbie Bampton 1985–1991
Gillian Coultard 1991–1995
Debbie Bampton 1995–1997
Gillian Coultard 1997–2000
Mo Marley 2000–2001
Tara Proctor 2001
Karen Walker 2002
Faye White 2002–2012
Casey Stoney 2012–2014
Steph Houghton 2014–2022
Leah Williamson 2022–present
Records
As of 31 July 2022
Main article: List of England women's international footballers
See also: Category:England women's international footballers
Most capped players
Fara Williams is England's most capped player and fourth highest goalscorer with 40 goals in 172 appearances since 2001.
# Name England career Caps Goals Ref
1 Fara Williams 2001–2019 172 40 [76]
2 Jill Scott 2006– 161 27 [77]
3 Karen Carney 2005–2019 144 32 [78]
4 Alex Scott 2004–2017 140 12 [79]
5 Casey Stoney 2000–2018 130 6 [80]
6 Rachel Yankey 1997–2013 129 19
7 Steph Houghton 2007– 121 13
8 Gillian Coultard 1981–2000 119 30
9 Kelly Smith 1995–2014 117 46
10 Ellen White 2010– 113 52
Bold names denote a player still playing or available for selection.
Top goalscorers
# Name England career Goals Caps Average Ref
1 Ellen White 2010– 52 113 0.46 [81]
2 Kelly Smith 1995–2015 46 117 0.39 [82]
3 Kerry Davis 1982–1998 44 82 0.54 [83]
4 Karen Walker 1988–2003 40 83 0.48 [84]
Fara Williams 2001–2019 172 0.23 [76]
6 Hope Powell 1983–1988 35 66 0.53
7 Eniola Aluko 2004–2017 33 102 0.32
8 Karen Carney 2005–2019 32 144 0.22
9 Gillian Coultard 1981–2000 30 119 0.25
10 Marieanne Spacey 1984–2001 28 91 0.31
Beth Mead 2018– 45 0.64
Bold names denote a player still playing or available for selection.
Carol Thomas was the first player to reach 50 caps in 1985, before retiring from representative football later that year, having amassed 56 caps. Fara Williams holds the record for England appearances, having played 172 times since 2001. She overtook previous record holder Rachel Yankey in August 2014, in a friendly against Sweden.[85] Yankey had passed Gillian Coultard's 119 record England women caps in September 2012, in a European qualifying match against Croatia, and Peter Shilton's 125 record England international caps in June 2013, in a friendly against Japan.[86]
Ellen White has scored the most goals for England, with 52. She surpassed Kelly Smith's record on 30 November 2021, scoring a hat-trick against Latvia during a UEFA qualifier for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup where England won 20–0, the biggest ever win for an England football team.[citation needed]
Attendance
Date Opponent Result
F–A Venue Attendance Competition
1st place, gold medalist(s) 31 July 2022 Germany 2–1 Wembley Stadium, London 87,192[87][note 1] UEFA Women's Euro 2022 Final
2nd place, silver medalist(s) 9 November 2019 Germany 1–2 Wembley Stadium, London 77,768[88] Friendly
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 6 July 2022 Austria 1–0 Old Trafford, Manchester 68,871[89] UEFA Women's Euro 2022 group stage
Also a record attendance for UEFA international competition for either gender.
Competitive record
England women's team in February 2015
FIFA World Cup
Main article: England at the FIFA Women's World Cup
England have qualified for the FIFA Women's World Cup five times (1995, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019) and failed to qualify for three competitions (1991, 1999, 2003). The England team reached the quarter-finals on three occasions; losing out to Germany in 1995, the United States in 2007 and France on penalties in 2011. In 2015, however, England earned the bronze medal for the first time, under Mark Sampson, by beating Germany in the third place play-off. The team finished in fourth place in 2019.
FIFA World Cup finals record Qualification record
Year Result GP W D* L GF GA GD GP W D* L GF GA GD
China 1991 Did not qualify 6 2 3 1 4 2 +2
Sweden 1995 Quarter-finals 4 2 0 2 6 9 −3 6 4 2 0 29 0 +29
United States 1999 Did not qualify 8 3 0 5 9 12 −3
United States 2003 10 3 3 4 12 10 +2
China 2007 Quarter-finals 4 1 2 1 8 6 +2 8 6 2 0 29 2 +27
Germany 2011 4 2 2 0 6 3 +3 10 9 1 0 35 4 +31
Canada 2015 Third place 7 5 0 2 10 7 +3 10 10 0 0 52 1 +51
France 2019 Fourth place 7 5 0 2 13 5 +8 8 7 1 0 29 1 +28
Australia New Zealand 2023 To be determined To be determined
Total 5/9 26 15 4 7 43 30 +13 66 44 12 10 199 32 +167
*Draws include knockout matches decided by penalty shoot-outs.
FIFA Women's World Cup matches
Olympic Games
Main article: Great Britain women's Olympic football team
England does not participate in the Women's Olympic Football Tournament, as the country does not have its own National Olympic Committee (NOC). Since England falls under the jurisdiction of the British Olympic Association, remit for an Olympic football team requires support from all four Home Nation associations. The Scottish Football Association (SFA), the Football Association of Wales (FAW) and the Irish Football Association (IFA) have all previously objected to the premise over fears that the team would erode the independence of their individual football associations. However, members of its team have played for the Great Britain women's Olympic football team at London 2012 having been granted automatic qualification as the host nation.[90] The Home Nations once again agreed to a GB Women's team in time for Tokyo 2020 with England's result at the 2019 World Cup counting as the team's attempt to qualify. They qualified as one of the last three remaining European nations.[91]
UEFA European Championship
Main article: England at the UEFA Women's Championship
England first entered the UEFA Women's Championship in 1984, reaching the final that year and subsequently in both 2009 and 2022. The team have reached the semi-finals on three other occasions (1987, 1995, 2017), but failed to make it out of the group stage in three other editions (2001, 2005, 2013). England did not qualify in 1989, 1991, 1993 and 1997.
UEFA European Championship record Qualifying record
Year Result GP W D* L GF GA GP W D* L GF GA
England Italy Norway Sweden 1984 Runners-up 4 3 0 1 4 2 6 6 0 0 24 1
Norway 1987 Fourth place 2 0 0 2 3 5 6 6 0 0 34 2
West Germany 1989 Did not qualify 6 2 1 3 6 10
Denmark 1991 8 2 3 3 5 8
Italy 1993 6 4 0 2 11 7
England Germany Norway Sweden 1995 Semi-finals 2 0 0 2 2 6 8 6 2 0 33 2
Norway Sweden 1997 Did not qualify 8 4 2 2 19 6
Germany 2001 Group stage 3 0 1 2 1 8 8 5 1 2 12 14
England 2005 Group stage 3 1 0 2 4 5 Qualified as host
Finland 2009 Runners-up 6 3 1 2 12 14 8 6 2 0 24 4
Sweden 2013 Group stage 3 0 1 2 3 7 8 6 2 0 22 2
Netherlands 2017 Semi-finals 5 4 0 1 11 4 8 7 1 0 23 1
England 2022 Champions 6 6 0 0 22 2 Qualified as host
Total 9/13 34 17 3 14 62 53 80 54 14 12 213 57
*Draws include knockout matches decided by penalty shoot-outs.
**Red border colour denotes tournament was held on home soil.
Minor tournaments
Year Round Position GP W D* L GF GA
England 1976 Pony Home Championship Winners, group stage 1st 2 2 0 0 9 1
Italy 1969 Unofficial European Championship Third place 3rd 2 1 0 1 5 4
Italy 1979 Unofficial European Championship Semi-finals 4th 4 2 1 1 6 4
Japan 1981 Mundialito Group stage 3rd 2 1 0 1 4 1
Italy 1984 Mundialito Semi-finals 3rd 4 0 2 2 3 6
Italy 1985 Mundialito Winners 1st 2 3 1 1 13 5
Italy 1988 Mundialito Winners 1st 4 3 1 0 8 2
United States 1990 North America Cup Group stage 3rd 4 1 1 2 3 7
Portugal 2002 Algarve Cup Group stage 9th 4 1 0 3 8 12
Portugal 2005 Algarve Cup Group stage 8th 4 3 1 0 13 0
China 2007 Four Nations Tournament Group stage 4th 3 0 2 1 3 0
Cyprus 2009 Cyprus Cup Winners 1st 4 3 1 0 14 3
Cyprus 2010 Cyprus Cup Group stage 5th 4 2 1 1 6 5
South Korea 2010 Peace Queen Cup Group stage 2nd 2 0 2 0 0 0
Cyprus 2011 Cyprus Cup Group stage 5th 4 2 0 2 4 4
Cyprus 2012 Cyprus Cup Group stage 4th 4 2 0 2 5 7
Cyprus 2013 Cyprus Cup Winners 1st 4 3 1 0 12 7
Cyprus 2014 Cyprus Cup Runners-up 2nd 4 3 0 1 7 2
Cyprus 2015 Cyprus Cup Winners 1st 4 3 1 0 8 2
China 2015 Yongchuan International Tournament Runners-up 2nd 2 1 0 1 2 2
United States 2016 SheBelieves Cup Group stage 3rd 3 0 1 2 1 3
United States 2017 SheBelieves Cup Group stage 3rd 3 1 0 2 2 3
United States 2018 SheBelieves Cup Runners-up 2nd 3 1 1 1 6 4
United States 2019 SheBelieves Cup Winners 1st 3 2 1 0 7 3
United States 2020 SheBelieves Cup Group stage 3rd 3 1 0 2 1 3
England 2022 Arnold Clark Cup Winners 1st 3 1 2 0 4 2
Total 8 titles 85 41 22 25 150 89
FIFA world rankings
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
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See also
icon Women's association football portal
icon Association football portal
Sports portal
flag England portal
Sport in England
Football in England
Women's football in England
Great Britain women's Olympic football team
England women's national under-23 football team
England women's national under-20 football team
England women's national under-19 football team
England women's national under-17 football team
England men's national football team
References
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"England's Laura Bassett's tears bring back Italia 90 memories". BBC Sport. 2 July 2015. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
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"Sarina Wiegman will become our new England Women's head coach from September 2021". www.thefa.com.
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External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to England women's national association football team.
Official website
FIFA profile
England squads – FIFA Women's World Cup
vte
England squad – 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup
1 Cope2 Powell3 Mapes4 Britton5 Taylor6 Coultard7 Spacey8 Bampton (c)9 Farley10 Burke11 Sempare12 Davis13 Higgs14 Walker15 Williams16 Smith17 Waller18 Phillip19 Fletcher20 EastonCoach: Copeland
England
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England squad – 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup
1 Brown2 A. Scott3 Stoney4 Chapman5 White (c)6 Phillip7 Carney8 Williams9 Aluko10 K. Smith11 Yankey12 Asante13 Chamberlain14 Unitt15 S. Smith16 J. Scott17 Handley18 Sanderson19 Exley20 Johnson21 TelfordCoach: Powell
England
vte
England squad – 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup
1 Bardsley2 A. Scott3 Unitt4 J. Scott5 F. White (c)6 Stoney7 Clarke8 Williams9 E. White10 Smith11 Yankey12 Carney13 Brown14 Aluko15 Bradley16 Houghton17 Bassett18 Asante19 Susi20 Rafferty21 ChamberlainCoach: Powell
England
vte
England squad – 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup third place
1 Bardsley2 A. Scott3 Rafferty4 Williams5 Houghton (c)6 Bassett7 Nobbs8 J. Scott9 Aluko10 Carney11 Moore12 Bronze13 Chamberlain14 Greenwood15 Stoney16 Chapman17 Potter18 Duggan19 Taylor20 Sanderson21 Telford22 Kirby23 WhiteCoach: Sampson
England
vte
England squad – 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup fourth place
1 Bardsley2 Bronze3 Greenwood4 Walsh5 Houghton (c)6 Bright7 Parris8 Scott9 Taylor10 Kirby11 Duggan12 Stokes13 Telford14 Williamson15 McManus16 Moore17 Daly18 White19 Stanway20 Carney21 Earps22 Mead23 StaniforthCoach: Neville
England
England squads – UEFA Women's Championship
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England squad – 1984 European Competition for Women's Football runners-up
1 Wiseman2 Thomas (c)3 Pearce4 Hanson5 Gallimore6 Coultard7 Deighan8 Bampton9 Curl10 Davis11 Chapman12 Irvine13 Powell14 Sempare15 Turner16 ParkerCoach: Reagan
England
vte
England squad – UEFA Women's Euro 2001
1 Cope2 Murphy3 Unitt4 Easton5 Marley (c)6 Chapman7 Burke8 Proctor9 K. Smith10 Banks11 S. Smith12 White13 Hall14 Fletcher15 Britton16 Spacey17 Yankey18 Walker19 Exley20 BrownCoach: Powell
England
vte
England squad – UEFA Women's Euro 2005
1 Fletcher2 Scott3 Unitt4 Chapman5 White (c)6 Phillip7 Handley8 Williams9 Barr10 Westwood11 Yankey12 Smith13 Brown14 Carney15 Stoney16 Exley17 Asante18 Aluko19 Johnson20 HallCoach: Powell
England
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England squad – UEFA Women's Euro 2009 runners-up
1 Brown2 A. Scott3 Stoney4 Williams5 Johnson6 Asante7 Carney8 Chapman9 Aluko10 K. Smith11 S. Smith12 J. Scott13 Chamberlain14 White (c)15 Unitt16 Handley17 Sanderson18 Westwood19 Bassett20 Buet21 Clarke22 BardsleyCoach: Powell
England
vte
England squad – UEFA Women's Euro 2013
1 Bardsley2 A. Scott3 Houghton4 J. Scott5 Bradley6 Stoney (c)7 Aluko8 Asante9 White10 Williams11 Yankey12 Clarke13 Brown14 Carney15 Bassett16 Nobbs17 Duggan18 Susi19 Bonner20 Moore21 Bronze22 Smith23 ChamberlainCoach: Powell
England
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England squad – UEFA Women's Euro 2017 semi-finalists
1 Bardsley2 Bronze3 Stokes4 J. Scott5 Houghton (c)6 Potter7 Nobbs8 Christiansen9 Taylor10 Williams11 Moore12 Stoney13 Chamberlain14 Carney15 Bassett16 Bright17 Parris18 White19 Duggan20 Greenwood21 Telford22 A. Scott23 KirbyCoach: Sampson
England
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England squad – UEFA Women's Euro 2022 winners (1st title)
1 Earps2 Bronze3 Daly4 Walsh5 Greenwood6 Bright7 Mead8 Williamson (c)9 White10 Stanway11 Hemp12 Carter13 Hampton14 Kirby15 Stokes16 Scott17 Parris18 Kelly19 England20 Toone21 Roebuck22 Wubben-Moy23 RussoCoach: Wiegman
England
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Women's EURO 2022: All the records set in England
UEFA Women's EURO 2022 established new competition standards on many fronts, with records broken on and off the pitch.
Chief history maker Beth Mead
Chief history maker Beth Mead
UEFA via Getty Images
UEFA Women's EURO 2022 will live long in the memory for the thrills it delivered on the pitch and the remarkable atmosphere in the stands. The 13th edition of the final tournament also yielded a slew of new competition records, from prolific goalscoring feats to coaching firsts and unprecedented stadium crowds.
UEFA.com recaps all the ways this summer's game-changing spectacle made history.
Team records
Most goals in a tournament: 22, England
Watch every England goal on their road to Women's EURO glory
Watch every England goal on their road to Women's EURO glory
England went into the final against Germany just one goal off their opponents' record of 21, set during Germany's 6-2 defeat of the Lionesses in the 2009 decider in Helsinki. The hosts' two strikes at Wembley avenged that loss and broke new ground for goals scored.
Most goals in a group stage: 14, England
The previous best for a single group was 11 goals, racked up by Germany as hosts in 2001. That was comfortably beaten by the Lionesses, five years after they had fallen one short of the record in the Netherlands.
Most points in a group stage: 9, England & Germany (equalled record)
England completed the seventh perfect campaign in a Women's EURO group, having also put together the sixth in 2017. That made them only the second nation to register nine points on more than one occasion, Germany having done likewise en route to their triumphs in 2001, 2005 and 2009 (when they kept up perfection in the knockouts). Germany then did it for a fourth time a day later, while France came within a few seconds of posting the ninth perfect tally.
Fewest goals conceded in a group stage: 0, England & Germany (equalled record)
In 2005, Germany beat Norway, Italy and France without conceding a goal. That remained a unique feat until England kept three clean sheets in Group A, the hosts also scoring six more goals than Germany managed during their trio of group games in England 17 years ago. One day after the Lionesses' third shutout, Germany's 2022 side did it again.
Biggest win: England 8-0 Norway
Highlights: England 8-0 Norway
Highlights: England 8-0 Norway
England's opening 1-0 victory against Austria gave no indication of what was to come next against Norway as the hosts soared to the competition's biggest ever win, a record they had set themselves by beating Scotland 6-0 to open the 2017 group stage. The aggregate of eight goals in a single game also equalled the tournament record (jointly held by England's 6-2 loss to Germany in the 2009 final).
Most goals in a first half: 6, England vs Norway
On 10 July, France became the first team to score five goals in the opening half of a Women's EURO finals game during their 5-1 defeat of Italy. That record stood for 24 hours before England went one better against Norway.
Most different players scoring in single game: 5, England vs Norway (equalled record)
Beth Mead took a lot of the plaudits for her hat-trick against Norway, but Georgia Stanway's penalty, Ellen White's double, and a goal each by Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo made it five different scorers for the rampant Lionesses. That had only happened once before, when Germany beat France 5-1 in the 2009 group stage.
Player records
Most goals in a final tournament: 6, Beth Mead (England) & Alex Popp (Germany) (equalled record)
Women's EURO 2022 Top Scorer: Beth Mead
Women's EURO 2022 Top Scorer: Beth Mead
Inka Grings scored six goals for Germany in 2009, a record that remained untouched until Mead drew level with her semi-final strike against Sweden. A day later, Popp struck twice versus France to also make it to half a dozen. However, both remain four off the overall career record of ten shared by Grings and her former Germany team-mate Birgit Prinz.
Most goals in a group stage: 5, Beth Mead (England)
Mead struck the goal that opened the finals against Austria, then added a hat-trick versus Norway and produced a deflected effort as Northern Ireland were beaten 5-0. No player had ever hit the back of the net as many times in a group stage.
Scoring in all three group games: Beth Mead (England) and Alex Popp (Germany)
Many great strikers have lit up Women's EURO final tournaments since the group stage was introduced in 1997, but none had scored in all three matches in a single campaign until Mead's superb streak. Remarkably, Popp followed in her footsteps just a day later.
Scoring in most consecutive games: 5, Alex Popp (Germany)
Top Scorer: Alex Popp's six goals
Top Scorer: Alex Popp's six goals
Injured in 2013 and 2017, Popp had never actually played in a Women's EURO before this year. She certainly made up for lost time, her goals against Denmark, Spain and Finland in the group stage and Austria in the quarter-finals equalling compatriot Heidi Mohr's feat of scoring in four straight finals games (albeit across three tournaments from 1989 to 1993). Popp promptly went one better with her semi-final double against France. A warm-up injury ruled her out of the final and ended any hopes of a perfect six.
Most goals by a substitute: 4, Alessia Russo (England)
England fielded the same XI in every game from the start of the group stage to the final – a first in either a women's or men's EURO. That meant Russo never started, but she still managed to finish third in the Top Scorer rankings behind Mead and Popp, getting one against Norway, two versus Northern Ireland then another thanks an outrageous back-heel in the semi-final with Sweden. Never before had someone scored four Women's EURO goals coming off the bench.
Most goals in a first half: 3, Grace Geyoro (France 5-1 Italy)
One record from France's Matchday 1 stroll against Italy does still stand, Geyoro striking the competition's maiden first-half finals hat-trick.
Oldest goalscorer: Julie Nelson, 37 years and 33 days (Norway 4-1 Northern Ireland)
Highlights: Norway 4-1 Northern Ireland
Highlights: Norway 4-1 Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland were the sole debutants in these finals and managed only one goal in their three defeats, but it was momentous: not just for being their first in any major tournament but also because the scorer, Nelson, broke a record held by Italy legend Patrizia Panico since 2009.
Coaching records
First coach to win her first 11 Women's EURO games: Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands & England)
Wiegman oversaw a perfect six-game campaign for her native Netherlands at home in 2017. She then switched to 2022 hosts England last year, overseeing wins in the first two group matches (she missed the third) before three victories in the knockout rounds made it 11 out of 11. She is still two off off the record of 13 consecutive wins held by Germany's Tina Theune, who drew her first two games in charge in 1997 but won every other match in that tournament and the 2001 and 2005 editions before retiring.
First coach to win with two different nations: Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands & England)
Only four coaches have led more than one nation in Women's EURO final tournaments: Wiegman (Netherlands 2017, England 2022), final opponent Martina Voss-Tecklenburg (Switzerland 2017, Germany 2022), Nils Nielsen (Denmark 2017, Switzerland 2022) and Anna Signeul (Scotland 2017, Finland 2022). England's final triumph ensured Wiegman masterminded a unique double victory, also becoming the first coach to win with an overseas team.
Attendance records
Record crowd: 87,192 (England 2-1aet Germany, Wembley)
England get a feel of the Wembley pitch
England get a feel of the Wembley pitch
Not only did the attendance figure for the final set a new record for a women's international in Europe (beating the 80,203 who watched the 2012 Olympic final, also at Wembley), it likewise broke new ground for a women's or men's EURO final tournament game. That record had previously been held by the 79,115-strong crowd for the men's 1964 decider between Spain and the Soviet Union at Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu.
Record aggregate attendance: 574,875
The previous record of 240,055, set in the Netherlands five years ago, was eclipsed by the end of Matchday 2 in the group stage – and ended up being more than doubled.
Record average attendance: 18,544
In the days of four-team knockout Women's EURO final tournaments, a total of 36,000 attended the quartet of matches in West Germany in 1989 for an average of 9,000 per game – a figure unsurpassed until this summer. Indeed, that average was guaranteed to be beaten by the end of the group stage, even if no one had attended the knockout games.
Record crowd (group stage): 68,871 (England 1-0 Austria, Old Trafford)
Highlights: England 1-0 Austria
Highlights: England 1-0 Austria
The Old Trafford crowd that watched England defeat Austria surpassed the previous overall record by more than 27,000 spectators, 41,301 fans having attended the 2013 final between Germany and Norway in Solna, Sweden. However, that new benchmark stood for just 25 days, leaving it as merely the new group stage high. The record for a group match not involving the hosts fell more than once, meanwhile, settling on the 22,596 who watched the Netherlands beat Switzerland at Sheffield's Bramall Lane.
Record crowd (quarter-finals): 28,994 (England 2-1aet Spain, Brighton & Hove)
England's dramatic extra-time triumph was watched by more than double the previous quarter-final record, set when the Netherlands downed Sweden 2-0 five years ago. The following day came the second-highest quarter-final crowd, and a new record for a last-eight tie not involving the hosts, with 16,025 seeing Germany oust Austria in Brentford.
Record crowd (semi-finals): 28,624 (England 4-0 Sweden, Bramall Lane)
England made sure of a clean sweep of crowd records in Sheffield, though that figure was nearly caught the next day by the 27,445 who watched Germany edge past France in Milton Keynes, a new high for a semi not featuring the hosts.
The 100 best female footballers in the world 2021
Alexia Putellas is our new No 1 with another five Barcelona players in the top 10 of our joint list with the Offside Rule Podcast
Rich Laverty
Fri 10 Dec 2021 10.01 GMT
421
1Alexia Putellas
Age 27
Team Barcelona / Spain
Position Midfielder
Rank 23 2020 ▲22
A simply untouchable and unmatchable year for our 2021 winner. The Barcelona and Spain midfielder has been on top of the game and risen to the top with it. She has produced almost unfathomable numbers for club and country in terms of goals and assists, as well as being a key component of Barça’s success throughout the year, in which the Catalan club secured a treble and a first Champions League title. Putellas's ability to create, score and run games has enabled her to stand out even in a team of superstars and in our vote she was almost 300 points clear of second place, with more than half our judges voting her their No 1.
2Vivianne Miedema
Age 25
Team Arsenal / Netherlands
Position Forward
Rank 2 2020
The Arsenal and Netherlands striker again comes home second, this time to the brilliant Alexia Putellas, though that is no slight on another magical year for one of the world’s finest strikers. Miedema continued to push the boundaries in 2021 and to break records with it; she is now out on her own as the top scorer in the history of the Women’s Super League. Miedema has continued to show she can also be a creative force for club and country, not just a scorer. She won the Golden Boot at the Tokyo Olympics during the summer with a remarkable 10 goals in four games, including two against the world champions, USA, in a thrilling quarter-final.
3Sam Kerr
Age 28
Team Chelsea / Australia
Position Forward
Rank 7 2020 ▲4
The deadliest striker in England typifies the growing quality on show in the women’s game. Now firmly established as one of the world’s best, Kerr toppled Vivianne Miedema as the Golden Boot winner in the Women’s Super League last season and leads the way again this term, thanks in no small part to her connection with strike partner Fran Kirby. Kerr’s goals helped Chelsea to another domestic double as well as a first Champions League final while she continued to be in fine form for her national team too, scoring six goals for Australia in Tokyo, a tally beaten only by Miedema.
4Caroline Graham Hansen
Age 26
Team Barcelona / Norway
Position Forward
Rank 8 2020 ▲4
Graham Hansen not being on the Ballon d’Or shortlist was one of the shocks of award season given the influence she had on Barcelona’s incredible year. While the Norwegian superstar scores her fair share of goals, she has undoubtedly become known as one of the most creative players anywhere and her first appearance in the top five only backs up what an incredible year she has had. Graham Hansen has surpassed the 40-goal mark for Norway and, playing as an inside forward for Barcelona, she played a huge part in her team’s success throughout 2021.
5Pernille Harder
Age 29
Team Chelsea / Denmark
Position Forward
Rank 1 2020 ▼4
Last year’s winner took some time to find her best form at Chelsea following her high-profile move from Wolfsburg, but her talent was still evident in that she ended last season with nine league goals. Since the summer though it has been a different story: she has become more at home in a Chelsea side now playing around Harder’s strengths, and her superb solo goal against Manchester United in September illustrated what she brings to her team. Between club and country, she has scored in seven of her 10 games so far this season at the time of writing.
6Jenni Hermoso
Age 31
Team Barcelona / Spain
Position Forward
Rank 14 2020 ▲8
Hermoso shoots into the top 10 of the rankings and given her goalscoring exploits it’s easy to see why. It is a testament to Barcelona that despite her high ranking two of her clubmates are still above her in our list. Hermoso ended last season at the top of the Primera Iberdrola scoring charts, the only player to score more than 30 goals, while she also registered 14 assists and ended the campaign as joint top scorer in the Champions League too. It’s hard to look past stats such as that when discussing strikers and Hermoso’s contributions this year put her right up there with the very best.
7Fran Kirby
Age 28
Team Chelsea / England
Position Forward
Rank Re-entry
After an illness that dropped her out of the rankings last year, it is a testament to both Kirby’s resilience and burning talent that she returns and moves into the top 10 for the first time. Her partnership with Sam Kerr has made Chelsea almost unstoppable and her individual numbers have been incredible, despite Kerr taking the Golden Boot at the end of last season. Kirby’s movement, ingenuity and footwork make her a nightmare for most defenders and she has returned to the pitch in prime form at a time when England will need her at her best going into a home European Championship.
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8Irene Paredes
Age 30
Team Barcelona / Spain
Position Defender
Rank 34 2020 ▲26
The highest-ranked defender in this year’s list and given her contributions to two of the year’s most successful club sides, it’s hard to argue against it. And it is no coincidence that Paredes has played for two of Europe’s top teams in 2021. The Spain captain helped lead Paris Saint-Germain to a long-awaited league title before making a return to Spain and Barcelona in the summer, where she has only added to an already solid back line and formed a fantastic partnership with her fellow national team centre-back Mapi León.
9Lieke Martens
Age 28
Team Barcelona / Netherlands
Position Forward
Rank 29 2020 ▲20
A former winner of the 100, the flying Dutch winger played a key role for both Barcelona and the Netherlands in 2021. She was approaching double figures once again by November for the all-conquering Spanish side. Her two goals in the Champions League semi-final second leg against PSG were among the standout moments of the year, and were followed by four goals for her national team at the Tokyo Olympics. Martens has been back at her best this year.
10Aitana Bonmati
Age 23
Team Barcelona / Spain
Position Midfielder
Rank 93 2020 ▲83
The 23-year-old has blossomed into a top player this year and a steep rise in the rankings reflects that. Worryingly for her opponents, the midfielder is still nowhere near her peak and it would be no surprise to see her further up this list in the future. Bonmati has been a source of goals and assists for club and country but her talent goes far beyond that, her ability to link play and see passes others cannot has allowed the Barcelona attack in front of her to flourish. Her player of the match performance – and goal – in the Champions League final demonstrated what she can do on the biggest stage.
11Magdalena Eriksson
Age 28
Team Chelsea / Sweden
Position Defender
Rank 25 2020 ▲14
The influential Chelsea captain led her side through another successful year on the pitch. The 28-year-old has become one of the ultimate modern defenders, with an ability to play out from the back while remaining a solid presence at the heart of the defence for both Chelsea and Sweden. Her 2021 was full of success, as she took home Continental Cup and Women’s Super League medals, as well as winning a silver medal with Sweden and it could have easily been gold to go with her domestic triumphs.
12Christiane Endler
Age 30
Team Lyon / Chile
Position Goalkeeper
Rank 22 2020 ▲10
The Lyon and Chile player reaffirmed her status as the best goalkeeper in the world and her position in the top 100 this year backs it up. Her rock-solid presence between the posts helped PSG to a historic league title. Her last-minute save that knocked Lyon out of the Champions League was one of the most important saves of the year from any goalkeeper and big performances have become standard now for someone who has established herself as the No 1 of No 1s in recent years.
13Marie-Antoinette Katoto
Age 23
Team PSG / France
Position Forward
Rank 20 2020 ▲7
Katoto is well on her way to becoming one of the best strikers in the world at the age of only 23. Katoto took her game up another level in 2021 and not only has the stats but now the silverware to show for it. Her 21 goals come the end of last season saw her well clear of anyone else (other than Khadija Shaw) in Division 1 Arkema and played a huge part in PSG finally prising away the league title from Lyon. Katoto has become the attack leader for both PSG and France, already leads the scoring charts domestically this season and has nine goals in France’s first six World Cup qualifiers.
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14Ashley Lawrence
Age 26
Team PSG / Canada
Position Defender
Rank 70 2020 ▲56
What a year at both domestic and international level for a player who has perhaps gone under the radar in the past, but not this year as Lawrence flies up the rankings for 2021. Whether it’s been at left-back, centre-back or in midfield, Lawrence’s versatility is only one trait that stands her apart, but her ability to shine in all of them means it’s no coincidence she won major tournaments with both PSG and Canada this year. Topping Lyon domestically was followed up with a gold medal in Tokyo.
15Wendie Renard
Age 31
Team Lyon / France
Position Defender
Rank 4 2020 ▼11
The Lyon and France leader continues to be one of the most imposing defenders in the game but drops out of our top 10 in 2021. Renard started the year on an incredible run of scoring in five consecutive games and there are few players anywhere who offer the aerial threat of the centre-back. Lyon did not enjoy their usual success this year but Renard forged a fine partnership with Kadeisha Buchanan in the continued absence of Griedge Mbock and overall enjoyed another solid calendar year.
16Mapi León
Age 26
Team Barcelona / Spain
Position Defender
Rank 37 2020 ▲21
It was another impressive year for a defender who has become one of the best in the world. Whether it’s her ability to play out from the back or help her team keep clean sheets, Mapi has it all and her new partnership with international teammate Irene Paredes at Barcelona has only helped Europe’s top club to new heights. Her consistent performances at the heart of the defence helped her side to a historic treble in 2021 and at 26 there’s time for Mapi to get even better.
17Stina Blackstenius
Age 25
Team Häcken / Sweden
Position Forward
Rank Re-entry
Not for the first time, Blackstenius came alive at the Olympics, surpassing the breakout tournament she enjoyed in Rio in 2016. Her two-goal display in an opening win against the USA was a huge moment for the striker and she followed that up with three more goals, including one against Canada in the final. Blackstenius is fast becoming one of the most well-rounded forwards in the game and she scored an impressive 17 goals in 21 games for Häcken in this year’s Damallsvenskan.
18Christine Sinclair
Age 38
Team Portland Thorns / Canada
Position Forward
Rank 31 2020 ▲13
No one could begrudge the great Christine Sinclair finally winning gold with her country in Tokyo during the summer. The 38-year-old has been a mainstay for Canada for so long now and finally got her hands on a gold medal at perhaps the final time of asking. She also helped Portland Thorns to the NWSL Shield in what has been a successful year on a personal level for the great forward, who consistently chipped in with goals and assists for her club.
19Kim Little
Age 31
Team Arsenal / Scotland
Position Midfielder
Rank 28 2020 ▲9
Six goals in eight WSL appearances this season at the time of writing suggests Little has no appetite for slowing down anytime soon. She has appeared rejuvenated under the new Arsenal manager, Jonas Eidevall, and showed her talent on the world stage representing Team GB over the summer, where she slotted into a side made up of primarily English players as if she had been with them all her life. There are still very few who display the game intelligence Little does and she is now right back in the goals too.
20Sam Mewis
Age 29
Team North Carolina Courage / USA
Position Midfielder
Rank 15 2020 ▼5
Mewis’s highlights largely came in the first half of the year, starting with her opener in the FA Cup final with a trademark header. Mewis went on to end her season in Manchester as one of the best in the league and her five goals in Europe made her joint-second in the rankings. Six goals through the year for the USA, including one at the Olympics, was a solid return for a player who sadly missed much of the second half of 2021 after requiring surgery upon returning to North Carolina.
21Sandra Paños
Age 29
Team Barcelona / Spain
Position Goalkeeper
Rank 73 2020 ▲52
Paños shoots up the rankings this year and deservedly so. While the Barcelona centre-back pairing is well-known and the team’s attack has dominated Europe this year, Paños has played a more than valuable role between the posts and has established herself as Spain’s No 1. Last season, Paños conceded only 17 goals in 32 matches and did not concede in the league until December 2020, a remarkable feat. She made a big penalty save against Manchester City in the Champions League quarter-finals and went on to keep a clean sheet in the final.
22Ji So-yun
Age 30
Team Chelsea / South Korea
Position Midfielder
Rank 16 2020 ▼6
Ji may be getting older and not influencing games in terms of goals herself anymore, but she remains one of the very best at dictating games and has continued to play a key role in Chelsea’s success. While Kirby and Kerr take most of the plaudits for their connection, it’s uncanny how many of their goals are started by Ji’s ability to dictate in midfield. Still capable of a killer assist, as she showed recently against Aston Villa, the Fifa Best nominee is still at the top of her game.
23Kadidiatou Diani
Age 26
Team PSG / France
Position Forward
Rank 30 2020 ▲7
Named on the Ballon d’Or shortlist, the winger enjoyed another strong year and continued to cause chaos for opponents. Her presence for PSG was sorely missed in the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona. With her ability to ghost past players, Diani has become one of the most frightening wingers to play against in the world and her role in the PSG attack helped them finally get their hands on a domestic league title in 2021.
24Kosovare Asllani
Age 32
Team Real Madrid / Sweden
Position Forward
Rank 35 2020 ▲11
Asllani’s performances, particularly in Tokyo for Sweden, deserved a gold medal that never came and she was at her best in the final against Canada. She had offered a warning sign of what to expect with a dominant performance against the world champions, USA, and showed that she is still at the top of her game, while playing a valuable role for Real Madrid too. Sadly, a positive Cvid-19 test and subsequent ligament injury have meant we haven’t seen too much of the Swede since the summer.
25Ellen White
Age 32
Team Manchester City / England
Position Forward
Rank Re-entry
White surpassed Kelly Smith's all-time scoring record for England in a positive year in front of goal for club and country. White’s position in the rankings this year though will owe much to the six goals she scored for Team GB in Tokyo, where a hat-trick against Australia would have almost single-handedly dragged her side into the semi-finals had it not been for a late collapse. Has been in the goals consistently all year.
26Lina Magull
Age 27
Team Bayern Munich / Germany
Position Midfielder
Rank 41 2020 ▲15
The Germany playmaker often goes unnoticed at awards season but she places higher than ever before this year. One of the most creative players in Europe, Magull is at the source of many attacks for both her country and Bayern Munich, her five goals and six assists one of the key reasons Jens Scheuer’s side were finally able to end Wolfsburg’s dominance in Germany. A fine year from a fine player who continues to improve.
27Debinha
Age 30
Team North Carolina Courage / Brazil
Position Forward
Rank 13 2020 ▼14
The brilliant Brazilian remains one of the best around with the ball at her feet, able to manipulate defenders with footwork and an eye for goal. Debinha hit double figures for Brazil over the past 12 months, with goals in the SheBelieves Cup and at the Tokyo Olympics. At club level she started the year in fine form, ending the NWSL Challenge Cup as the top scorer and scored another three in the regular season despite North Carolina Courage having a below-par season by their usual standards. She remains one of the best in her position anywhere in the world.
28Kadeisha Buchanan
Age 26
Team Lyon / Canada
Position Defender
Rank 36 2020 ▲8
Griedge Mbock’s injury allowed Buchanan a prolonged chance to show her talent alongside Wendie Renard despite the year not going how Lyon would have wanted, but it was at international level where Buchanan’s biggest success came, as she played a key role in helping Canada to Olympic gold. While solid at the back, Buchanan likes to break out from defence and link with her midfield and attack and is more than comfortable going for goal, as a recent stunning volley against Guingamp in France showed. Now rated as one of the best defenders around.
29Patri Guijarro
Age 23
Team Barcelona / Spain
Position Midfielder
Rank 87 2020 ▲58
As the years go by, Guijarro will be a name to watch when it comes to end of season awards as the 23-year-old just misses out on a spot in the top 20. She didn’t always start in Barcelona’s treble-winning campaign but she is a major talent – composed on the ball and an important part of why the team works; the same goes for her role in the national team. Able to pop up with a goal from time to time too, Guijarro continues to grow as a player and is earning increasing recognition for her performances.
30Rose Lavelle
Age 26
Team OL Reign / USA
Position Midfielder
Rank Re-entry
Despite three goals in the space of a couple of months at the back end of last year, Lavelle’s time at Manchester City did not go as planned, but she has returned to the USA with OL Reign in good form and become an important part of an already stellar squad under Laura Harvey. She has barely missed a minute since returning after the Olympics and remained a key part of the USA side too, scoring six goals from midfield in 2021. Often mesmerising with the ball at her feet, Lavelle is one of the easiest on the eye players to watch anywhere in the world and there are few who get around the pitch like her.
31Mariona Caldentey
Age 25
Team Barcelona / Spain
Position Forward
Rank New
It’s no easy task fighting your way into a Barcelona attack that already houses Lieke Martens, Jenni Hermoso and Asisat Oshoala, yet Caldentey still ended last season with 13 goals and nine assists and played a big part in her team’s success. The No 9 is already off the mark with five goals this season and the homegrown Barcelona star is approaching her peak years in top form, culminating in her first appearance in the top 100. She’s also recently hit six goals in three World Cup qualifiers for her country (chk). One to watch at next year’s European Championships.
32Asisat Oshoala
Age 27
Team Barcelona / Nigeria
Position Forward
Rank 33 2020 ▲1
Oshoala may have been outshone by a couple of her teammates but her goalscoring record for Barcelona in 2021 deserves praise. She ended last season with 18 goals in 26 games in the league and had 11 in nine by the end of November this season. Add that to important Champions League goals in both legs against Manchester City this season and another against former club Arsenal more recently and it's clear that Oshoala is adding a ruthlessness to her game. She is now up there with Europe’s top strikers.
33Hanna Glas
Age 28
Team Bayern Munich / Sweden
Position Defender
Rank 81 2020 ▲48
It has taken some time but Glas has finally this year become the highest ranked full-back in our list, surpassing Lucy Bronze. It is much deserved – for too long Glas has gone underappreciated despite her consistent presence in defence and her ability to get forward and help in attack. She was excellent for Sweden against the USA in Tokyo and has been a consistent source of assists for club and country, playing a key role in helping Bayern Munich win back their Bundesliga title from Wolfsburg.
34Lucy Bronze
Age 30
Team Manchester City / England
Position Defender
Rank 3 2020 ▼31
Bronze drops out of the top 10 for the first time after a knee operation post-Olympics ended her 2021 prematurely. Many of Team GB’s goals in Tokyo came via Bronze’s runs down the right, her links with her clubmate Ellen White particularly fruitful. Her five assists last season after returning for Manchester City helped them to a strong second half of the season and she remains one of the best attacking full-backs in the game. Her presence for City has been sorely missed as she continues her recovery from injury.
35Lindsey Horan
Age 27
Team Portland Thorns / USA
Position Midfielder
Rank 18 2020 ▼17
The great Horan enjoyed another very good year, helping Portland Thorns to the NWSL Shield where she was always a goal threat for her side. Her ability to break forward and link with attacking teammates means she remains an important part of both her club side and the US national team – that she has been the No 10 recently for the latter after Carli Lloyd’s retirement shows the influence she has, and will continue to have.
36Daniëlle van de Donk
Age 30
Team Lyon / Netherlands
Position Midfielder
Rank 32 2020 ▼4
It was another really solid year for the Dutch midfielder who swapped Arsenal for Lyon in the summer, an endorsement of her talent in itself. Van de Donk led the assists charts at the Tokyo Olympics and was a constant source of creativity, while also happy to do the other side of the game and fight for her team in the middle of the park. She has been a regular for Lyon since her move, has already been on the scoresheet several times, and scored four in five games for her country in recent World Cup qualifiers.
37Eugénie Le Sommer
Age 32
Team OL Reign / France
Position Forward
Rank 12 2020 ▼25
Another of the Lyon superstars who briefly swapped France for the US this year, Le Sommer took to the NWSL like she had been there her whole career and played a huge role in OL Reign’s march to the NWSL play-offs. Not that she was in a slump before it, with four goals for Lyon at the end of last season. Her highlights though came in the US, with eight goals and three assists in her 18 appearances during her temporary stay. Le Sommer showed she has lost none of her ability and now returns to France with some fine form behind her.
38Jessie Fleming
Age 23
Team Chelsea / Canada
Position Midfielder
Rank Re-entry
Fleming’s 2021 was defined by the Tokyo Olympics in the summer, where her composed performances in midfield didn’t necessarily go unnoticed, but were eclipsed by her composure from the penalty spot. She scored in the quarter-final shootout against Brazil, scored the decisive winner 15 minutes from time against the USA, and scored in both normal time and the shootout in the final against Sweden as Canada won gold. Fleming has also just started to hold down a more regular starting role for Chelsea, so keep an eye on her in 2022.
39Amandine Henry
Age 32
Team Lyon / France
Position Midfielder
Rank 6 2020 ▼33
Like several of Lyon’s mainstays over the years, Henry drops out of the top 10 for the first time since 2017, but she still showed her talent throughout the year despite PSG ending her side’s domestic dominance. She has a tendency for a big goal, as she showed only last month with a late header against Bayern Munich. There are still few finer box-to-box players anywhere in Europe and after signing a new deal she has plenty more to give in the next few years.
40Lea Schüller
Age 24
Team Bayern Munich / Germany
Position Forward
Rank Re-entry
Schüller not only returns to the 100 this year but flies straight back into the top 50 and there’s few arguments when looking at her impact in 2021. She ended last season with 16 goals, the most of any Bayern Munich player as they won the Bundesliga title and her seven this season see her lead the race for the golden boot already. At 24 she is one of the most fearsome strikers anywhere in Europe, and already has 11 goals for Germany in just six World Cup qualifiers, an incredible record by anyone’s standards.
41Saki Kumagai
Age 31
Team Bayern Munich / Japan
Position Midfielder
Rank 11 2020 ▼30
Kumagai made the move away from Lyon this year where she was always such a key component of the French side’s dominance. Joining German champions Bayern Munich in the summer, the Japanese superstar remains one of the classiest operators in the game whether it be in midfield or defence, and typically returned to haunt her former club with a late goal in a recent Champions League group stage tie. Kumagai remains one of the calmest with the ball at her feet and has already settled nicely into Bundesliga life.
42Leah Williamson
Age 24
Team Arsenal / England
Position Defender
Rank 61 2020 ▲19
Williamson has progressively moved up the rankings in the past couple of years and it’s no shock she has again in 2021 as she once again blossomed for club and, even more so, country, where she is now holding down a regular starting spot at the heart of the England defence. A potentially significant hamstring injury has come at the worst time for a player who was named temporary England captain by Sarina Wiegman, but it hasn’t stopped Williamson enjoying a really good year and no doubt she will return in top form too.
43Jess Fishlock
Age 34
Team OL Reign / Wales
Position Midfielder
Rank Re-entry
After injury had robbed us of Fishlock’s talents, the Welsh midfielder bounced back this year in fine fashion, taking home the NWSL MVP award for her performances with OL Reign, where she was reunited with her former manager Laura Harvey. It’s no surprise they wanted her back early from her loan spell at Reading where she enjoyed a successful return to the WSL. She also scored a couple of candidates for goal of the year, with stunning efforts from long range. A player who really does have it all.
44Lena Oberdorf
Age 19
Team Wolfsburg / Germany
Position Midfielder
Rank 71 2020 ▲27
It is no surprise to see Oberdorf rocket up the rankings this year. What’s scary about her talent is she is already one of the best in her role at 19 years old. Her positional play combined with her endless energy makes her a tough defensive midfielder to play against and the fact she is nowhere near her peak years yet makes it all the more remarkable. There can be no doubt Oberdorf is well on the way to being one of the world’s best and Wolfsburg will be delighted to have tied her down on a deal until 2024 at the start of the year.
45Fridolina Rolfö
Age 28
Team Barcelona / Sweden
Position Forward
Rank Re-entry
Rolfö returned from injury at the back end of last year and instantly showed why she is such a gifted player, and there can't be a greater compliment for a player than being signed by Barcelona after a treble-winning season. It’s testament to Rolfö’s attacking qualities she hasn’t looked out of place in Catalonia, scoring four goals in her opening 10 league games in Spain as well as creating several more. Her three goals in Tokyo also played a big role in Sweden’s march to the final and subsequent silver medal. Overall a really good year for Rolfö.
46Dzsenifer Marozsán
Age 29
Team OL Reign / Germany
Position Midfielder
Rank 5 2020 ▼41
Marozsán drops well out of the top 10 this year and shows just how strong the women’s game now is given the wizardry she continued to show at times during 2021. The Germany star ended last season with the most assists in the French league, not for the first time, before embarking on a new, temporary adventure in the USA with OL Reign, where she continued to show what she can do with a ball at her feet. There are few better at creating chances for others and Marozsán certainly enjoyed another good year doing what she does best.
47Lauren Hemp
Age 21
Team Manchester City / England
Position Forward
Rank New
Hemp shooting straight into the top 50 above some household names says everything about the year she has had. Her return from injury at the end of 2020 instantly made Manchester City a greater force. Her speed, agility and skill down the left has made her a potent weapon for club and country and she is one of the best wingers in the WSL. Still only 21, Hemp last season weighed in with six goals and eight assists in the league and already has three goals this season despite her team’s struggles.
48Cristiana Girelli
Age 31
Team Juventus / Italy
Position Forward
Rank 54 2020 ▲6
Girelli only moves up six places from 2020 but it’s enough to make her first appearance in the top 50 and deservedly so given her goal contributions once again this year. Her 22 goals saw her end last season as the top scorer comfortably in Serie A, helping Juventus to another league title. Three goals this season is a solid start while her two in the Champions League were crucial against Wolfsburg and she already has seven for Italy in her national team’s opening World Cup qualifiers.
49Ann-Katrin Berger
Age 31
Team Chelsea / Germany
Position Goalkeeper
Rank 67 2020 ▲18
A flick of a wrist arguably won Chelsea the WSL last season, Berger's stunning one-handed save from Lauren Hemp in what was essentially a title decider against Manchester City just one of many key contributions this year from the goalkeeper who gets her highest ranking to date. Whether it was big penalty stops in Europe or her superb saves in other games, Berger was a huge presence for Chelsea as they completed a domestic treble in 2021, and she played a huge role in the Blues reaching a first European final.
50Sara Däbritz
Age 26
Team PSG / Germany
Position Midfielder
Rank 40 2020 ▼10
Däbritz played a key role in PSG’s success this year even if her eight assists last season perhaps went unnoticed among the goals scored by the team’s blistering front three. Her six assists already this season only underline her importance, a tally unmatched by anyone else in the league to date. The 26-year-old is entering her peak years in top form for both PSG and Germany. One of the very best in her role anywhere in Europe and sneaks into the top 50 once again.
51Tobin Heath
Age 33
Team Arsenal / USA
Position Forward
Rank Re-entry
Despite a stop-start year affected by several injuries, Heath featured regularly when fit and was in top form when her first injury hit at Christmas, scoring and assisting regularly for Manchester United with a stunning Manchester derby strike a particular highlight. She didn’t return until the summer but did so with two goals in two games for her national team and a regular role in Tokyo before joining the club she supported as a child, Arsenal. The 33-year-old enjoyed a good start in London, registering several assists and scoring her first goal in the Champions League before another injury hit last month.
52Megan Rapinoe
Age 36
Team OL Reign / USA
Position Forward
Rank Re-entry
Rapinoe returns to the list this year and, as ever, popped up at big moments for both her club and country in 2021. Domestically she was in fine form for OL Reign post-Olympics, ending the season with the best goal/assists rate per 90 minutes in the league, her goals against Portland Thorns of particular importance. Rapinoe also hit double figures for the USWNT in 2021, and again came to prominence in the bronze-medal match against Australia, her two early strikes putting the USA on the road to another medal.
53Crystal Dunn
Age 29
Team Portland Thorns / USA
Position Defender
Rank 21 2020 ▼32
Dunn drops down the list this year but still showed her quality after a busy year which saw her once again play regularly for her country and Portland Thorns in a range of positions. Dunn’s all-action, energetic style – particularly as a full-back in the national team – and her ability to perform in several different positions has always been one key element of what makes her a special player.
54Amel Majri
Age 28
Team Lyon / France
Position Forward
Rank 17 2020 ▼37
Majri ended last season with 10 goals after the arrival of Sakina Karchaoui at Lyon finally allowed her to play further forward rather than at left-back on a regular basis. Majri has enjoyed a solid year but drops from last year when her numbers were ridiculously high, though she is still influencing games for Lyon and has two goals and three assists in the league early on in the new campaign. Her ability and technique on the ball still makes her one of the very best left-sided players in the women’s game.
55Khadija Shaw
Age 24
Team Manchester City / Jamaica
Position Forward
Rank 49 2020 ▼6
Shaw made the big move anticipated this year, leaving Bordeaux and choosing WSL side Manchester City during the summer, but her slight drop from 2020 possibly emphasises she is still settling into life with a struggling City team this season. Shaw ended last season as the top scorer in the French league, no easy feat when not playing for either Lyon or PSG but only proving her ridiculous eye for goal and clinical finishing ability. Only two league goals so far for City but a hat-trick in the FA Cup showed her ruthless side and there’s no doubt it will click sooner rather than later given her natural ability.
56Delphine Cascarino
Age 24
Team Lyon / France
Position Forward
Rank 10 2020 ▼46
Cascarino drops down from last year but that only goes to show how well she stood out in 2020 after another solid year in 2021. Cascarino continued to be a big attacking threat for Lyon, ending last season with seven assists in the league. The France international has forged a solid partnership with Ellie Carpenter down the right for Lyon, the latter’s ability to get forward allowing Cascarino to often come inside and influence play across the pitch. Always with an eye for a goal, she remains a key player for Lyon and France.
57Marta
Age 35
Team Orlando Pride / Brazil
Position Forward
Rank Re-entry
One of the all-time greats gave a few reminders this year that she’s not done yet. At 35, Marta found the net four times for Orlando Pride in what was another tough season for the NWSL side, but Marta was often at the heart of their attacking play. She also remained a key component of the Brazil national team, particularly in Tokyo where she scored three times during the Olympics and showed the world what she still has to offer. Rumours of a move back to Brazil would be a loss to the NWSL but Marta remains one of the finest with a ball at her feet.
58Christen Press
Age 32
Team Angel City / USA
Position Forward
Rank Re-entry
Press was in fine form at the start of the year, enjoying a good end to her time with Manchester United with several goals towards the end of the 2020-21 WSL season in England. Five goals for the USA followed, plus another in the Tokyo Olympics as Press continued to be one of the leading attacking threats under Vlatko Andonovski this year. Between opting out of subsequent national team camps and signing for new NWSL franchise Angel City, Press hasn’t featured since Tokyo.
59Caroline Weir
Age 26
Team Manchester City / Scotland
Position Midfielder
Rank 77 2020 ▲18
Weir went from strength to strength this year and another rise in the rankings backs that up. The Scotland international found the net 18 times from her midfield role through 2021 for club and country and was also a Fifa Best nominee for her superb strike against Manchester United back in February, the second time in a row she’s been nominated for a goal in a derby. Her skill, vision and eye for a world-class strike has made Weir one of the most potent attacking midfielders in the WSL.
60Katie McCabe
Age 26
Team Arsenal / Republic of Ireland
Position Defender
Rank New
McCabe is one of the highest new entrants in the 100 this year but also one of the most deserved as she has progressed into one of the best attacking full-backs in the game. Her four goals in eight league games so far this season has already matched her tally for the last campaign, while she also has three in four for her country in World Cup qualifying. At 26, she is emerging as a real leader for both club and country but it’s her numbers that set her apart given she is well into double figures for assists across 2021.
61Grace Geyoro
Age 24
Team PSG / France
Position Midfielder
Rank 95 2020 ▲34
Geyoro’s big jump in this year’s rankings shows her importance to both PSG and France at the heart of the midfield is becoming more appreciated worldwide. Her ability to build play is making her one of Europe’s top midfielders, and it’s no shock she is at the heart of the PSG side which finally ended Lyon’s domestic dominance. A place in the Champions League squad of the season only emphasised her growing reputation and at just 24 there should still be plenty more to come.
62Sofia Jakobsson
Age 31
Team Bayern Munich / Sweden
Position Forward
Rank 69 2020 ▲7
Jakobsson enjoyed a good start to the year with Real Madrid, consistently supplying goals and assists for her team as we’ve come to expect from the Swede. She played a key role for her country in the summer Olympics, registering three assists with her driven attacking play down the wings and picked up a silver medal for her efforts. A move to Bayern Munich has followed. She has had a steady start in Bavaria despite struggling for a regular starting spot, but has shown her quality when called upon by Jens Scheuer.
63Esther González
Age 28
Team Real Madrid / Spain
Position Forward
Rank New
González makes the 100 for the first time but surely not the last, and even has a decent claim to have been a little higher. Her 29 goals for Levante last season saw her as the only player to even get remotely close to top scorer Jenni Hermoso, before a big move to Real Madrid followed. Despite a tough start to the season for the team, González has five goals in her opening eight games and a remarkable seven in just three World Cup qualifiers for Spain. Absolutely prolific all year.
64Melanie Leupolz
Age 27
Team Chelsea / Germany
Position Midfielder
Rank 63 2020 ▼1
Leupolz proved to be such a key signing for Chelsea last season, playing a role which allowed the level of talent in the Blues' attack to flourish in a way perhaps it hadn’t been able to in previous seasons. An ability to link play but protect her defence, Leupolz was always a go-to player for Emma Hayes in big games and even occasionally popped up with a big goal through what can only be described as an almost perfect first full year in England for the Germany midfielder.
65Hedvig Lindahl
Age 38
Team Atlético Madrid / Sweden
Position Goalkeeper
Rank Re-entry
Lindahl often seems to save her best for the biggest stages, and while the summer Olympics only ended in another silver medal for the goalkeeper, Lindahl couldn’t have done much more to get gold. Almost flawless throughout the tournament, the 38-year-old saved two penalties in the final shootout against Canada but it still wasn’t enough for Sweden. Another solid year at club level with Atlético too, Lindahl may still have another tournament or two in her with her form showing no sign of dipping.
66Ellie Carpenter
Age 21
Team Lyon / Australia
Position Defender
Rank 76 2020 ▲10
Carpenter only confirmed her status as one of the best full-backs in the world with a consistent year in 2021. Her move to Lyon has added an extra layer to her game, while her ability to get forward from full-back is unmatched by many and she can often be found influencing games at the top end of the pitch, forging a good partnership with Delphine Cascarino on Lyon’s right flank. Her sending-off in Australia's Olympic semi-final defeat by Sweden was a low moment for a player still very young but there’s no doubt she’s still on the way to a top-level career.
67Barbra Banda
Age 21
Team Shanghai Shengli / Zambia
Position Forward
Rank New
Many within the women’s game knew of Banda’s talents heading into this year, but to a more casual audience the summer Olympics saw her rise to prominence with her quite stunning performances for the tournament's lowest-ranked side, Zambia. Banda may well be the first player to score back-to-back Olympic hat-tricks and not win either game, but her six-goal haul against European champions Netherlands and again in a thrilling 4-4 draw with China were two of the moments of the year. Her eye for goal is incredible and, at just 21, no doubt the world’s top clubs will be taking a close look this winter.
68Marta Torrejón
Age 31
Team Barcelona / Spain
Position Defender
Rank 79 2020 ▲11
It says much about Torrejón’s attacking threat that from full-back she ended last season with double figures for goals. At 31, the attacking defender is one of the most experienced heads in a successful Barcelona side and she still has a huge influence on the team at both ends of the pitch. A club legend, she made her 300th club appearance for the Catalans this year. Aside from her 10 goals, Torrejón also registered double figures for assists in the league in 2021 and played a vital role in the treble-winning season.
69Linda Dallmann
Age 27
Team Bayern Munich / Germany
Position Midfielder
Rank Re-entry
Nobody had a higher rate of assists per 90 minutes in the Bundesliga last season than Dallmann, and that says much of what you need to know about her influence on the Bayern Munich team and their deserved title success in 2020-21. Dallmann has become one of the best creative players in Europe, whether it be direct assists or passes that help create openings, Dallmann is establishing herself as a top player and ahead of next year’s Euros is really one to watch for Germany.
70Lia Wälti
Age 28
Team Arsenal / Switzerland
Position Midfielder
Rank 88 2020 ▲18
Wälti’s role in the Arsenal team perhaps goes underappreciated, but it’s a crucial one as she facilitates the level of attacking talent ahead of her. The defensive midfielder has established herself as one of the best in her position, an ability to spot a pass to those ahead which helps unlock Arsenal’s threat level up front like very few others. She deservedly rises slightly in the rankings this year. Wälti can control games with ease and has kept her role in the Arsenal team since the arrival of new coach Jonas Eidevall.
71Carli Lloyd
Age 39
Team NJ/NY Gotham / USA
Position Forward
Rank Re-entry
Retirement means this is the last time Lloyd will appear in the 100, and she goes out on the back of a very solid year which saw her gain one last medal with her country. No one contributed more goals to the USA throughout the year as Lloyd hit double figures, including two in the Olympic bronze-medal match against Australia to round off her last major tournament. Four goals in a shorter domestic season for NJ/NY Gotham also helped her club to the play-offs where she finally bowed out.
72Stephanie Labbé
Age 35
Team PSG / Canada
Position Goalkeeper
Rank New
It would be unfair to label Labbé’s 2021 solely around the Tokyo Olympics given the Canadian goalkeeper played a regular role for Rosengård in the first half of the season, leaving the Swedish side at the top of the Damallsvenskan table when she joined the French champions PSG. Her exploits in Tokyo, though, became one of the moments of the year, her penalty saves both in normal time and in shootouts playing a pivotal role in her team walking away with the gold medals.
73Deyna Castellanos
Age 22
Team Atlético Madrid / Venezuela
Position Forward
Rank Re-entry
Castellanos took no time settling into her first full season with Atlético Madrid, and despite falling short of some of their rivals in the league, the young Venezuelan sensation hit 13 goals last season and has six in just 10 games already in the new campaign, fulfilling the promise that once made her one of the most talked about youngsters in the world. Given how long her potential has been discussed, it’s easy to forget she is still only 22 and has a lot more to come, but she is certainly showing the talent wasn’t all just talk.
74Melvine Malard
Age 21
Team Lyon / France
Position Forward
Rank New
Malard has taken on the goalscoring responsibility expected of her at Lyon, with Ada Hegerberg injured and Eugenie Le Sommer on loan in the USA, already scoring seven goals in the league this season, a tally beaten only by PSG’s Marie-Antoinette Katoto. The talented 21-year-old is already showing composure in front of goal beyond her years for one of Europe’s top teams, while scoring her first goals for her country at the end of October in a World Cup qualifier. A deserved first appearance in the rankings and it will surely not be the last time Malard makes our 100.
75Beth Mead
Age 26
Team Arsenal / England
Position Forward
Rank 91 2020 ▲16
Mead’s year has peaked right at the very end, having bounced back from the disappointment of missing out on the Olympics with some of her best form for both Arsenal and England since the new season started. Mead had a solid first half of the year but since the summer has already matched her goal tally from last season and continued to be as good as anyone at creating goals for her teammates, while a recent hat-trick at Wembley for England got her off to a good start under Sarina Wiegman.
76Jill Roord
Age 24
Team Wolfsburg / Netherlands
Position Midfielder
Rank 59 2020 ▼17
Roord made the move from Arsenal to Wolfsburg over the summer and a return to Germany really seems to have reinvigorated the 24-year-old, whose link up with Tabea Waßmuth in particular has been impressive. Roord has five goals in her opening nine league games for Wolfsburg, two more in the Champions League, while a recent hat-trick for the Netherlands only emphasised her return to scoring form. Roord has been around at the top level for a while now but at still just 24 possibly has another level to go to after a great end to the year.
77Caroline Seger
Age 36
Team Rosengård / Sweden
Position Midfielder
Rank 64 2020 ▼13
At 36, the brilliant midfield maestro still has the talent to have a huge influence for club and country. For Rosengård, Seger was a constant in midfield as the club won back their domestic league title, while she was still a regular for a star-studded Sweden side, which says everything about what she still has to offer coming towards the back end of her career. Few would have deserved gold more in Tokyo, even if Seger had to settle for silver, it was another bit of silverware to go with her domestic success this year.
78Ewa Pajor
Age 24
Team Wolfsburg / Poland
Position Forward
Rank 27 2020 ▼51
Pajor is another player we were robbed of seeing regularly in 2021, with the Poland striker missing the first half of the year through injury, but returning in spectacular fashion with eight goals in just six league games for Wolfsburg before the end of last season. At 24, Pajor has quickly established herself as one of the best in Europe but another injury has restricted her to three league appearances this season in which she has three league goals. Overall, more goals than games played tells a story but it’s been a frustrating year for the striker.
79Mana Iwabuchi
Age 28
Team Arsenal / Japan
Position Midfielder
Rank Re-entry
Iwabuchi finally returned to Europe this year but perhaps not where many expected as the Japanese superstar rocked up at Aston Villa in January. A spectacular winner against Tottenham showed what she was all about and her performances helped Villa to safety before she made the eye-catching switch to Arsenal in the summer. One of the best technical players anywhere in the world, Iwabuchi also found the net seven times for her country in 2021, including one at the Tokyo Olympics.
80Nicole Billa
Age 25
Team Hoffenheim / Austria
Position Forward
Rank New
Very few forwards anywhere in Europe enjoyed the year Billa did and despite being a first-time entrant she could arguably have ranked much higher. In a league dominated by Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg, the Hoffenheim forward ended last season with 23 goals, six clear of anyone else, and already has six this season, putting her up towards the top end of the rankings again. Not many players have an eye for goal like she does and we’ll see her on the biggest stage at the Euros with Austria next year.
81Marina Hegering
Age 31
Team Bayern Munich / Germany
Position Defender
Rank New
Hegering has enjoyed a late blossoming in making the list for the first time at 31, but her role in Bayern Munich’s domestic triumph last season ensures it’s a deserved inclusion for the rock-solid German who has only in the last few years started to hold down a permanent spot in the national team. Hegering goes quietly about her business but has over 2021 become one of the top centre-backs and is hugely important to both Bayern and Germany.
82Ashley Hatch
Age 26
Team Washington Spirit / USA
Position Forward
Rank New
After a couple of consistent seasons, Hatch in 2021 joined an exclusive club of players who can say they have won the NWSL Golden Boot. The 26-year-old was in great form throughout the year, the only player whose goal tally reached double figures in the regular season. Hatch went on to score the winner in the first play-off round against North Carolina Courage and deservedly picked up a championship medal, while a recent return to the USA squad saw her score twice in two games. At the peak of her powers in 2021.
83Sandy Baltimore
Age 21
Team PSG / France
Position Forward
Rank New
The sky appears to be the limit for the 21-year-old Baltimore. Her raw pace and skill is already proving tough to deal with for the very best full-backs in the world and she has quickly become one of the leading creators in the French league, ending last season with 12 assists and with five already this season, the second best in the league. Baltimore is part of an in-form front three alongside Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Kadidiatou Diani, and she is well on the way to stardom, her performance for France against England this year serving as a warning of what she is capable of.
84Becky Sauerbrunn
Age 36
Team Portland Thorns / USA
Position Defender
Rank Re-entry
Sauerbrunn finally got to play her first full season with Portland Thorns after the pandemic caused the cancellation of the NWSL after her trade in 2020. The 36-year-old was a constant presence at the heart of the Thorns’ shield-winning team in 2021 while continuing her good form for the national team on the way to picking up a bronze medal in Tokyo. Let's enjoy Sauerbrunn, a leader on and off the pitch, while we can as she remains one of the best defenders in the world and regains her place in the top 100.
85Barbara Bonansea
Age 30
Team Juventus / Italy
Position Forward
Rank Re-entry
Bonansea remains one of the classiest operators in the Italian game and again had huge influence on Juventus's continued supremacy in Serie A, particularly when in fine scoring form during the first half of the year. Bonansea’s close control, vision and eye for goal has always made her one of the best players to come out of Italy and at 30 she’s showing no signs of slowing down. She has transferred her good form to the Italy national team and will be one to watch at next summer’s European Championships.
86Sakina Karchaoui
Age 25
Team PSG / France
Position Defender
Rank 52 2020 ▼34
While several players swapped PSG for Lyon over the summer, Karchaoui went the other way, opting to join the French champions rather than leave them. The left-back is now in the prime years of her career and performing consistently, holding down the position for her national team. Her talent is illustrated by the calibre of clubs that have chased her before two big moves in consecutive summers. With her ability to get forward and influence attacks, Karchaoui enjoyed another solid year overall.
87Catarina Macario
Age 22
Team Lyon / USA
Position Forward
Rank New
How one of the USA’s brightest prospects got on at one of Europe’s top sides was always going to be an intriguing 2021 storyline, and Macario did not disappoint. Five goals in seven for Lyon last season has been followed up by seven already this season where she sits as the second top scorer in the league, adding to her three in the Champions League. Macario also got off the mark for her national team in a year that couldn’t have gone much better for the 22-year-old who took full advantage of key Lyon attackers being out through injury or departing for new adventures.
88Lina Hurtig
Age 26
Team Juventus / Sweden
Position Forward
Rank New
After joining Juventus at the back end of 2020 off a successful Damallsvenskan season, Hurtig wasted no time in settling into her new environment, scoring six goals in her debut Serie A campaign for the Old Lady. Hurtig also hit seven for Sweden, the imposing centre-forward enjoying a good year during which her most memorable contributions came in Tokyo, scoring first in a dominant 3-0 win over the USA before finding the net again against Australia. A first appearance in the 100 and probably not the last.
89Paulina Dudek
Age 24
Team PSG / Poland
Position Defender
Rank New
Dudek has so often come so close to making the 100 and this year finally, and deservedly, breaks into the rankings. The Poland international perhaps goes unnoticed compared to some of the bigger names in the PSG defence, but to play such a key role in their title success proves what a top-class defender Dudek has become. Her stats this year set her apart from most defenders and it most certainly won’t be the last time she makes the 100, her composure on the ball and no-nonsense defending making her a classic modern defender.
90Rachel Daly
Age 29
Team Houston Dash / England
Position Forward
Rank 43 2020 ▼47
Daly reigned supreme in the NWSL this year, ending the season as second-joint top scorer in the league in what was ultimately a disappointing campaign for Houston Dash who missed out on the end-of-season play-offs. Daly’s all-action style was once again prevalent, showing a do-or-die attitude for her team and, with Lucy Bronze injured, Daly continued to hold down her familiar right-back role for England.
91Sydney Lohmann
Age 21
Team Bayern Munich / Germany
Position Midfielder
Rank 80 2020 ▼11
Lohmann is one of many players who would have probably claimed a higher ranking had it not been for injuries. One of the breakout stars of 2020, Lohmann took that form into 2021 and played a commanding midfield role in what turned out to be an ultimately successful year for Bayern Munich. Now a key member of the Germany team, Lohmann had to have hip surgery a few months ago but should still return at the top of her game.
92Midge Purce
Age 26
Team NJ/NY Gotham / USA
Position Forward
Rank New
Another player who enjoyed a breakout campaign in the NWSL this year. Purce was inspired throughout 2021, ending the regular season as the joint-second top scorer in the league with nine goals and playing a huge part in helping NJ/NY Gotham into the end of season play-offs with her direct play and eye for goal. Purce was a nightmare to play against for any NWSL side and earned a place in the NWSL best XI as a reward for her fine form.
93Julie Ertz
Age 29
Team Chicago Red Stars / USA
Position Midfielder
Rank 9 2020 ▼84
Ertz suffers a significant drop in the rankings but, given the injury problems she has faced this year, it says a lot about how she is viewed around the world that she makes the 100 again. While her club season was almost nonexistent, Ertz did remain a regular for the USA all the way up to and including the Olympics, where her presence was missed in the opening 45 minutes of their first game, against Sweden. The US became a more solid prospect after her return and the all-energy midfielder helped her side to bronze but sadly she has not played since.
94Vanessa Gilles
Age 25
Team Bordeaux / Canada
Position Defender
Rank New
Gilles makes our list for the first time and is probably one of 2021's most understated and underrated performers. While all eyes focused on some of Canada’s bigger names when they won gold in Tokyo, the solid centre-back was one of their standout performers throughout the tournament, forging a brilliant partnership with Kadeisha Buchanan. It would have been cruel had her penalty miss in the final shootout been costly because few deserved a gold medal more and Gilles will no doubt continue to gain more recognition in future years.
95Trinity Rodman
Age 19
Team Washington Spirit / USA
Position Forward
Rank New
Arguably the breakout star of 2021 having come straight out of the NWSL draft and, while still a teenager, imposing herself on the league, ending the season with six goals, five assists and an NWSL trophy as Washington Spirit won the championship for the first time. Rodman, daughter of the former NBA player Dennis, scored in the semi-final and played a vital part in the final and it looks as though the sky is the limit for a highly promising young player.
96Kheira Hamraoui
Age 31
Team PSG / France
Position Midfielder
Rank New
The experienced French midfielder wasn’t always a regular starter for Barcelona, but she played an important part in the team’s success in 2021. Hamraoui was called upon to start the Champions League final against Chelsea and put in a solid performance, one of her last contributions before returning to France with PSG where she became a regular starter and key performer for the French champions. Her importance to two of 2021's most successful sides tells its own story, though her year ended on a traumatic note when she was violently assaulted by two masked assailants in November.
97Mal Pugh
Age 23
Team Chicago Red Stars / USA
Position Forward
Rank Re-entry
Pugh returns to the 100 after a year in which she helped the Red Stars reach the NWSL final, with four assists setting her apart as one of the league’s most creative players. With pace to burn, Pugh is continuing to add end product to her game, her goal in the first play-off round against Gotham was pivotal and her place in the second best XI in the NWSL awards illustrated her contribution on the field in Chicago throughout 2021.
98Nikita Parris
Age 27
Team Arsenal / England
Position Forward
Rank Re-entry
Parris returned to England this year after a good run of form with Lyon where she ended last season as the joint-third top scorer in D1 Arkema, her form at the back end of 2020 a particular highlight, including four goals in one game in December. Parris ended the season with 13 goals before joining Arsenal where she got off to a good start with two goals in Champions League qualifying. It has not happened in front of goal for the hard-working Parris more recently but she is quickly becoming an important part of Jonas Eidevall’s plans.
99Millie Bright
Age 28
Team Chelsea / England
Position Defender
Rank 66 2020 ▼33
Bright remained what she has always been for Chelsea and England this year – a really consistent and solid performer in a Blues side that again enjoyed domestic success. Strong and imposing, Bright offers a tough presence at the back for club and country and was given the honour of captaining England for the first time in November, showing at 28 she is also now ready to take on a leadership role at the top level.
100Chloe Kelly
Age 23
Team Manchester City / England
Position Forward
Rank 82 2020 ▼18
Kelly’s year was ended prematurely and cruelly after an innocuous collision in a league game for Manchester City left her with an ACL injury that ruled her out of the Team GB squad for the Olympics. Kelly had stepped up to City's level better than anyone could have imagined, scoring 10 goals and registering 11 assists in the Women's Super League before her injury. Her pace, skill and end product set her apart – that she still squeezes into the list despite not having played since May is testament to that.
All players
1
Alexia Putellas
Barcelona
2
Vivianne Miedema
Arsenal
3
Sam Kerr
Chelsea
4
Caroline Graham Hansen
Barcelona
5
Pernille Harder
Chelsea
6
Jenni Hermoso
Barcelona
7
Fran Kirby
Chelsea
8
Irene Paredes
Barcelona
9
Lieke Martens
Barcelona
10
Aitana Bonmati
Barcelona
11
Magdalena Eriksson
Chelsea
12
Christiane Endler
Lyon
13
Marie-Antoinette Katoto
PSG
14
Ashley Lawrence
PSG
15
Wendie Renard
Lyon
16
Mapi León
Barcelona
17
Stina Blackstenius
Häcken
18
Christine Sinclair
Portland Thorns
19
Kim Little
Arsenal
20
Sam Mewis
North Carolina Courage
21
Sandra Paños
Barcelona
22
Ji So-yun
Chelsea
23
Kadidiatou Diani
PSG
24
Kosovare Asllani
Real Madrid
25
Ellen White
Manchester City
26
Lina Magull
Bayern Munich
27
Debinha
North Carolina Courage
28
Kadeisha Buchanan
Lyon
29
Patri Guijarro
Barcelona
30
Rose Lavelle
OL Reign
31
Mariona Caldentey
Barcelona
32
Asisat Oshoala
Barcelona
33
Hanna Glas
Bayern Munich
34
Lucy Bronze
Manchester City
35
Lindsey Horan
Portland Thorns
36
Daniëlle van de Donk
Lyon
37
Eugénie Le Sommer
OL Reign
38
Jessie Fleming
Chelsea
39
Amandine Henry
Lyon
40
Lea Schüller
Bayern Munich
41
Saki Kumagai
Bayern Munich
42
Leah Williamson
Arsenal
43
Jess Fishlock
OL Reign
44
Lena Oberdorf
Wolfsburg
45
Fridolina Rolfö
Barcelona
46
Dzsenifer Marozsán
OL Reign
47
Lauren Hemp
Manchester City
48
Cristiana Girelli
Juventus
49
Ann-Katrin Berger
Chelsea
50
Sara Däbritz
PSG
51
Tobin Heath
Arsenal
52
Megan Rapinoe
OL Reign
53
Crystal Dunn
Portland Thorns
54
Amel Majri
Lyon
55
Khadija Shaw
Manchester City
56
Delphine Cascarino
Lyon
57
Marta
Orlando Pride
58
Christen Press
Angel City
59
Caroline Weir
Manchester City
60
Katie McCabe
Arsenal
61
Grace Geyoro
PSG
62
Sofia Jakobsson
Bayern Munich
63
Esther González
Real Madrid
64
Melanie Leupolz
Chelsea
65
Hedvig Lindahl
Atlético Madrid
66
Ellie Carpenter
Lyon
67
Barbra Banda
Shanghai Shengli
68
Marta Torrejón
Barcelona
69
Linda Dallmann
Bayern Munich
70
Lia Wälti
Arsenal
71
Carli Lloyd
NJ/NY Gotham
72
Stephanie Labbé
PSG
73
Deyna Castellanos
Atlético Madrid
74
Melvine Malard
Lyon
75
Beth Mead
Arsenal
76
Jill Roord
Wolfsburg
77
Caroline Seger
Rosengård
78
Ewa Pajor
Wolfsburg
79
Mana Iwabuchi
Arsenal
80
Nicole Billa
Hoffenheim
81
Marina Hegering
Bayern Munich
82
Ashley Hatch
Washington Spirit
83
Sandy Baltimore
PSG
84
Becky Sauerbrunn
Portland Thorns
85
Barbara Bonansea
Juventus
86
Sakina Karchaoui
PSG
87
Catarina Macario
Lyon
88
Lina Hurtig
Juventus
89
Paulina Dudek
PSG
90
Rachel Daly
Houston Dash
91
Sydney Lohmann
Bayern Munich
92
Midge Purce
NJ/NY Gotham
93
Julie Ertz
Chicago Red Stars
94
Vanessa Gilles
Bordeaux
95
Trinity Rodman
Washington Spirit
96
Kheira Hamraoui
PSG
97
Mal Pugh
Chicago Red Stars
98
Nikita Parris
Arsenal
99
Millie Bright
Chelsea
100
Chloe Kelly
Manchester City
The 2022 FIFA World Cup (Standard Arabic: كأس العالم 2022, romanized: Kaʾsu al-ʿālami 2022; Gulf Arabic: كاس العالم ٢٠٢٢, romanized: Kāsu al-ʿālami 2022) is scheduled to be the 22nd running of the FIFA World Cup competition, the quadrennial international men's football championship contested by the senior national teams of the member associations of FIFA. It is scheduled to take place in Qatar from 21 November to 18 December 2022. This will be the first World Cup ever to be held in the Arab world,[1] and the second World Cup held entirely in Asia after the 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan.[a] In addition, the tournament will be the last to involve 32 teams, with an increase to 48 teams scheduled for the 2026 tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Due to Qatar's intense summer heat, this World Cup will be held from late-November to mid-December, making it the first tournament not to be held in May, June, or July; it will be played in a reduced timeframe of around 28 days.[2] The first match played at the tournament will be contested between Senegal and the Netherlands at Al Thumama Stadium, Doha. The final is due to be held on 18 December 2022, which is also Qatar National Day. The reigning World Cup champions are France.[3]
In May 2011, allegations of corruption within the FIFA senior officials raised questions over the legitimacy of the World Cup 2022 being held in Qatar. The accusations of corruption have been made relating to how Qatar won the right to host the event. A FIFA internal investigation and report cleared Qatar of any violation, but chief investigator Michael J. Garcia has since described FIFA's report on his enquiry as containing "numerous materially incomplete and erroneous representations."[4] On 27 May 2015, Swiss federal prosecutors opened an investigation into corruption and money laundering related to the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids.[5][6] On 6 August 2018, former FIFA president Sepp Blatter claimed that Qatar had used "black ops", suggesting that the bid committee had cheated to win the hosting rights.[7]
Additionally, Qatar has faced strong criticism due to the treatment of foreign workers involved in preparation for the World Cup, with Amnesty International referring to "forced labour" and poor working conditions,[8] while many migrant workers reported having to pay large "recruitment fees" to obtain employment.[9] An investigation by The Guardian newspaper claimed that many workers are denied food and water, have their identity papers taken away from them, and that they are not paid on time or at all, making some of them in effect slaves. The Guardian has estimated that up to 4,000 workers may die due to lax safety and other causes by the time the competition is held. Between 2015 and 2021, the Qatari government adopted new labour reforms to improve working conditions, including a minimum wage for all workers and the removal of the kafala system. According to Amnesty International, however, living and working conditions of the foreign workers have not improved in the last years.