Best women's football players of all time
Your complete guide to the greatest women's football players of all time – but who is the GOAT?
The past few years have proven to be truly remarkable for women's football as the sport reached unprecedented heights. In an era marked by remarkable growth, the game's ascent to this pinnacle owes much to the tireless efforts of extraordinary individuals on the field. But amidst this surge of success, one burning question remains: who truly stands as the GOAT?
With an abundance of names synonymous with success to consider, the task of determining the greatest female footballers of all time is anything but simple. Varied in their playing styles, eras, and positions, these exceptional athletes are united by a common thread: their unwavering commitment to women's football.
Amidst formidable obstacles, they've forged paths to success both on and off the field, blazing trails and inspiring future generations with their remarkable feats.
In light of their individual achievements, advocacy efforts, record-breaking accomplishments, career longevity, and impact on global tournaments or campaigns, RadioTimes.com has meticulously curated a list of the top 10 female footballers of all time.
Best women's football players of all time
10. Christine Sinclair
Christine Sinclair is continuing to make history, heading to her sixth and presumably last World Cup with Canada, now aged 40. The 14-time winner of Canada Soccer Player of the Year, the goalscorer led Canada to their gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics while racking up a whopping 194 goals in 323 appearances - a record for the national team.
In January 2022, the skipper was awarded the Best FIFA Special Award as the world's all-time leading scorer. Her trophy cabinet is stacked with personal accolades, collective accolades and more, and she is now one of the most decorated female footballers of all time, making her addition to this list an easy one.
9. Kristine Lilly
Holding the title for most caps for a national team player, both men's and women's, in the USA is an accolade that Kristine Lilly earned during her 23-year tenure with the States. Netting 130 goals in 352 appearances, a world record, Lilly proved herself a prolific goal scorer, winning two Olympic gold medals and a FIFA World Cup medal.
Becoming a figurehead for women's football in the States, Lilly was part of a team stacked with high-calibre talent - yet continued to stand out repeatedly. She became the first woman to participate in five World Cup Finals, marking her name as a true legend of the game.
8. Sun Wen
Sun Wen was pivotal during China's Golden Age of football, becoming the Steel Roses' go-to player to score goals. She managed to show up for her team time and time again, netting 106 goals in 152 international games between 1990 and 2006. During the 1999 Women's World Cup, she won the Golden Ball and Golden Boot during her prime, sharing the accolade with Marta.
Not only did she consistently score goals for the side, but each was spectacular, including scoring from a 32-yard free kick in China's draw with the USA at the Sydney Olympics.
It is no surprise that Sun Wen has added her name to the list of the best footballers in history - her addition to this list a no-brainer.
7. Kelly Smith
An exceptional player, Kelly Smith was lethal during her prime both for club and country, scoring 46 goals in 117 appearances for England during a remarkable two decades with the Lionesses.
Smith became the first athlete in any sport to be named Big East Offensive Player of the Year while representing Seton Hall University in New Jersey. She also netted 73 goals in 66 games from 2005-2009 for the Gunners upon her move back to the UK.
An Arsenal legend, Smith returned to North London to take up a coaching role earlier in the year, her legacy continuing to grow off the pitch as she offers her leadership to the next generation. Becoming one of England's most recognised women's footballers, Smith helped to engineer the game's growth on home soil, still active in her work to this day.
6. Homare Sawa
Starring for Japan during a 23-year international career from 1993 to 2015, Sawa made her name known from her first appearance for her country, scoring four times on her debut in their win over the Philippines.
Equally effective in creating and netting goals due to her superior ability to read the game, Sawa played a pivotal role in Japan's illustrious 2011 World Cup win, scoring in the 117th minute of the final against the USA. She added the Golden Ball and Golden Boot to her trophy cabinet during that same tournament.
Sawa retired at 37, collecting 83 goals in 204 appearances, both Japanese records. As one of the most clinical players, she deserves recognition for her impressive efforts.
5. Abby Wambach
Abby Wambach is the definition of an aerial threat, with a third of her world-record 184 strikes in 255 international matches coming off the top of her head. On countless occasions, Wambach's sheer determination to win pulled the USA through the toughest of games.
But it is also Wambach's off-the-pitch efforts that make her one of the best footballing figures of all time. Becoming the spokesperson for the team, often representing her teammates to the media with poise to ensure the team were taken seriously on matters of controversy, Wambach's legacy and record is impossible to ignore.
4. Birgit Prinz
Birgit Prinz is a player who defined what it means to have an instinct in front of a goal. The German forward knew precisely when to shoot; she expected it to end up in the back of the net every chance she took.
Her physical presence and impressive pace dominated Germany's attack, helping them to win the 2003 and 2007 Women's World Cups, with Prinz earning the Golden Ball in the former and the Silver Ball in the latter.
Before her international accolades, her sheer talent was on display from the first game she played for Germany, where a 16-year-old Prinz scored in the 89th minute of her debut, 17 minutes after stepping onto the pitch as a substitute.
In 214 international appearances, she found the net 128 times, and her trophy case flooded with three FIFA World Player of the Year honours and eight German Player of the Year titles.
3. Michelle Akers
Another American and world great, Michelle Akers, revolutionised not one but two positions on the pitch - that alone makes her a true legend. In her early days, Akers played as a striker, scoring the game-winning goal in the final few minutes of the 1991 World Cup to take the USA to victory.
However, she was diagnosed with chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome in 1994, forcing her to take up a new role as a defensive midfielder, turning her apt ability for scoring goals into defending them.
It was little surprise that Akers was named FIFA Female Player of the 20th Century, joint with China's Sun Wen, before retiring at 34, having scored 105 times in 153 international games. Akers' magic on the pitch has left a lasting legacy across women's football, earning her a place among the greats in the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
2. Mia Hamm
Mia Hamm may have hung her football boots up in 2004 but she finished her career with a world-record 158 international goals. The forward earned 275 caps during her 17-year career while representing the USA, after making her debut at 15.
Her sheer talent, vision, and innate ability to find the back of the net made her the best-known women's player of her generation, marking her name as one of the best footballers ever.
She was part of the 1991 and 1999 World Cup winning squads, playing a vital role in both campaigns. She was the inaugural FIFA Women's World Player of the Year in 2001, also winning the award in 2002.
A member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame, Hamm is undoubtedly a great of the game.
1. Marta
It is no surprise that the Brazilian master is top of the list: The prolific forward has created one exceptional legacy for herself. The world has lost track of the countless times she has sent a defender around in circles with her superb dribbling skills.
Often netting a myriad of goals thanks to her incredible vision and tenacity to succeed, Marta registers incredible stats, scoring 115 times in 174 games since her national team debut in 2002.
After winning the FIFA Female World Player of the Year five consecutive times (2006-2010), and again in 2018, she is now 37 and heading to her sixth World Cup, currently holding the record for the competition's all-time leading goal scorer with 15 goals.
Marta is a women's football legend and will continue to be a figurehead in the game, writing her name in copious history books after what could be her World Cup swang song this summer.
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