Women’s soccer has grown tremendously in popularity in recent years, and the sport is now home to some of the most talented athletes in the world.
Women’s soccer is gaining popularity due to increased revenues from sponsorships, broadcast deals, and merchandising; there is a steadily rising interest in the sport.
UEFA has created investment opportunities for the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).
Just like Ronaldo or Messi inspire male fans, rising female soccer stars give young girls and women the power to believe in themselves in the sport.
To know which ones are the most inspiring and currently at the top, here are the top 10 best female soccer players in 2026:
10. Caroline Graham Hansen
Caroline Graham Hansen is a Norwegian winger for FC Barcelona and the national team, renowned for her technical skill and vision.
Her club honors include three UEFA Women’s Champions League titles (2021, 2023, 2024), six Liga F championships, and multiple domestic cups with Barcelona and VfL Wolfsburg.
Individually, she was Ballon d’Or runner-up in 2023 and 2024. In the 2023/24 season, she led Liga F with 21 goals and 19 assists, earning the Pichichi Trophy.
Internationally, she represented Norway in the 2019 and 2023 World Cups and reached the 2013 Euro final.
Hansen overcame significant injuries to become one of the world’s most decorated and impactful players.
9. Barbra Banda
Barbra Banda, born March 14, 2000, is Zambia’s premier striker, recognized as BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year 2024 and CAF Women’s Player of the Year 2024.
She made history as the first player to score three Olympic hat-tricks, including back-to-backs at Tokyo 2020, becoming Africa’s all-time top Olympic scorer with 10 goals.
At club level, Banda led Orlando Pride to their first NWSL Championship in 2024, scoring the decisive goal in the final. She finished the season with 16 goals, ranking second in the league.
Additionally, she scored Zambia’s first-ever World Cup goal against Germany in 2023.
Her journey includes transformative stints in Spain, China, and the USA, establishing her as a global icon for African women’s football.
8. Alessia Russo
Alessia Russo is a premier forward known for clinical finishing and tactical intelligence. Born in Maidstone, she rose from Chelsea’s academy to play for Manchester United and Arsenal, where she helped secure the UEFA Women’s Champions League title.
Internationally, she is a cornerstone of the England Lionesses, winning the UEFA Women’s Euro in both 2022 and 2025.
Her iconic back-heel goal against Sweden in Euro 2022 was named Goal of the Tournament.
Russo also holds the record for England’s fastest hat-trick and was named FWA Women’s Footballer of the Year for the 2024–25 season.
With 67 caps and 30 goals, she remains one of Europe’s most respected forwards, nominated for the Ballon d’Or and pivotal in England’s historic triumphs on the world stage.
7. Khadija Shaw
Khadija Shaw, known as “Bunny,” is a Jamaican striker for Manchester City and captain of the national team. She became the first female player in Man City’s professional era to score 100 goals, achieving this milestone in just 120 appearances with a clinical 103-goal tally by December 2025.
Shaw won the WSL Golden Boot three times consecutively, scoring 20+ goals in three separate campaigns, a historic first.
She led City to their first WSL title in a decade in 2024–25. Internationally, she is Jamaica’s all-time leading scorer, guiding the Reggae Girlz to their first World Cup in 2019.
Ranked 4th globally by The Guardian, she won PFA Players’ Player of the Year in 2024, cementing her status as one of the WSL’s greatest strikers.
6. Ewa Pajor
Ewa Pajor, born December 3, 1996, is Poland’s all-time top scorer and a key striker for FC Barcelona.
Her achievements include winning the UEFA Women’s Champions League in the 2025/26 season, ending years as runner-up with Wolfsburg.
At Barcelona, she secured two Liga F titles, two Copa de la Reina trophies, and two Spanish Super Cups. Previously, she won five Bundesliga titles and nine German Cups with Wolfsburg, scoring 136 goals in 196 appearances.
Individually, Pajor received the Gerd Müller Award for the 2024/25 season’s top scorer.
Internationally, she led Poland to the 2013 U17 European Championship and qualified them for their first major senior tournament in 2024.
5. Klara Bühl
Klara Bühl is a German professional footballer playing as a winger for Bayern Munich and the national team. Born in 2000, she made her senior debut in 2019.
Her major international achievements include winning the 2024 Olympic Bronze Medal in France and finishing as UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 Runner-up, where she was named to the Tournament Eleven.
At the club level, Bühl has secured four Frauen-Bundesliga titles since joining Bayern in 2020.
She is renowned for her ambidexterity and playmaking, recently recording three assists in a single match twice in the 2025-26 season.
She also holds the distinction of being the first player to score at the Allianz Arena for Bayern Frauen.
4. Mariona Caldentey
Mariona Caldentey is a celebrated Spanish footballer known for her versatility and success with both club and country.
At Barcelona, she made over 300 appearances, scoring more than 110 goals and winning 25 trophies, including three UEFA Women’s Champions League titles and six league championships.
She played a pivotal role in Barcelona’s historic quadruple-winning season in 2023.
In July 2024, she transferred to Arsenal, where she immediately impacted the team, helping them reach the Champions League final and earning the PFA Women’s Players’ Player of the Year award for the 2024/25 season.
Internationally, Caldentey was instrumental in Spain’s 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup victory and the inaugural 2024 UEFA Women’s Nations League title, cementing her status as one of the world’s elite players.
3. Sam Kerr
Sam Kerr is a legendary Australian striker and captain of the Matildas, recognized as one of the world’s best players.
She holds the distinction of winning the Golden Boot in three different leagues: the Australian A-League (2017, 2018), the US NWSL (2017, 2018, 2019), and the English Women’s Super League (2020–21).
Kerr became the NWSL’s all-time leading scorer and Australia’s all-time top international goalscorer.
Her club success includes leading Chelsea to the WSL title and FA Cup. In September 2025, she celebrated scoring her 100th goal for Chelsea after recovering from a long-term ACL injury.
Kerr also won the FIFA Women’s World Cup Golden Boot in 2019 and was named the FWA Women’s Footballer of the Year in 2023.
Her aerial prowess and record-breaking consistency have cemented her status as a global icon of women’s football.
2. Alexia Putellas
Alexia Putellas is a Spanish football legend, widely considered one of the greatest players ever. Born in 1994, she captains FC Barcelona and the Spain national team.
Her individual accolades include winning the Ballon d’Or twice (2021, 2022) and The Best FIFA Women’s Player twice, becoming the first woman to win consecutive editions. She also secured the UEFA Women’s Player of the Year award twice.
Club-wise, she has won three UEFA Women’s Champions League titles, including scoring in the 2024 final. With Spain, she captained the team to victory in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Putellas holds the record for most Spain caps and is Barcelona’s all-time leading appearance maker, reaching 500 games in 2026. She is the first Spanish footballer to receive the Creu de Sant Jordi.
1. Aitana Bonmatí
Aitana Bonmatí is widely regarded as the world’s best female footballer, having made history as the first player to win the Women’s Ballon d’Or three consecutive times (2023, 2024, and 2025).
Her club career with FC Barcelona includes four UEFA Women’s Champions League titles and numerous domestic trebles, establishing her as a central figure in European dominance.
Internationally, she led Spain to victory in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, earning the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player.
Additional accolades include The Best FIFA Women’s Player (2023, 2024) and UEFA Women’s Player of the Year.
Beyond trophies, she is a UNHCR ambassador and advocate for gender equality, cementing her legacy as a generational talent and influential leader in sports.
These best women soccer players have broken records, won major tournaments, and inspired millions of young girls to pursue the sport.
From legendary icons to current superstars, the best female soccer players and their peers continue to elevate the level of the game globally. Their achievements prove that women’s soccer is at its most exciting era yet.