The Women’s game continues to develop by leaps and bounds, and towards the end of another great 12 months, it’s only fitting that ESPN FC Women’s Rank, its ranking of the top 50 women footballers in the world, returns. As much as its seen the power balance change within teams this year, it seen a whole lot of movement on its top 50 player list, as well as some new faces too.
ESPN performed this ranking for the past three years (read 2021, 2022 and 2023 here) and the changes in its ranking reflect the ever-evolving landscape of the sport.
In the full list of players, there are 15 players come into view for the first time in which three comes from African countries-which just goes to show how the talent pool in the women’s game is beyond it has ever been. Picking just 50 was more challenging than ever.
ESPN FC Women’s Rank methodology and voting panel explained
ESPN FC polled 18 women’s soccer experts from all over World. Former and current coaches for top-tier clubs teams or national teams, administrators, Journalists and general managers were told to anonymously pick their top 50 players of year 2024. With the help of a ranked ballot, each No.1 vote was worth 50 points, and each No. 50 vote was worth one point. At the end, they tallied up the points to get their list.
This list encloses the 2024 calendar year, excluding options to vote for the likes of Real Madrid’s Caroline Weir and Chelsea’s Sam Kerr due to their long-term injuries.
The List
50. Esther Gonzalez
Country: Spain
Club: NJ/NY Gotham FC
Age: 31
Position: Forward
2023 Rank: N/A(*debut)
49. Sjoeke Nusken
Country: Germany
Club: Chelsea
Age: 23
Position: Central midfielder/Striker
2023 Rank: N/A(*debut)
48. Grace Geyoro
Country: France
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Age: 27
Position: Central midfielder
2023 Rank: 38
49. Sjoeke Nusken
Country: Germany
Club: Chelsea
Age: 23
Position: Central midfielder/Striker
2023 Rank: N/A(*debut)
48. Grace Geyoro
Country: France
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Age: 27
Position: Central midfielder
2023 Rank: 38
48. Grace Geyoro
Country: France
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Age: 27
Position: Central midfielder
2023 Rank: 38
48. Grace Geyoro
Country: France
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Age: 27
Position: Central midfielder
2023 Rank: 38
47. Ingrid Engen
Country: Norway
Club: Barcelona
Age: 26
Position: Central midfielder
2023 Rank: N/A(*debut)
46. Sakina Karchaoui
Country: France
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Age: 28
Position: Left Back/Forward
2023 Rank: N/A(*debut)
45. Tarciane
Country: Brazil
Club: Houston Dash
Age: 21
Position: Defender
2023 Rank: N/A(*debut)
44. Rose Lavelle
Country: United States
Club: NJ/NY Gotham FC
Age: 29
Position: Central midfielder
2023 Rank: 47
43. Pernille Harder
Country: Denmark
Club: Bayern Munich
Age: 31
Position: Central midfielder
2023 Rank: N/A(*reentry)
42. Millie Bright
Country: England
Club: Chelsea
Age: 31
Position: Center back
2023 Rank: 18
41. Vanessa Gilles
Country: Canada
Club: Lyon (loan from Angel city)
Age: 28
Position: Center back
2023 Rank: N/A(*debut)
40. Irene Paredes
Country: Spain
Club: Barcelona
Age: 33
Position: Defender
2023 Rank: 49
39. Katie McCabe
Country: Republic of Ireland
Club: Arsenal
Age: 29
Position: Defender/Midfielder
2023 Rank: 24
38.Erin Cuthbert
Country: Scotland
Club: Chelsea
Age: 26
Position: Central Midfielder
2023 Rank: N/A(*Debut)
37.Guro Reiten
Country: Norway
Club: Chelsea
Age: 30
Position: Forward
2023 Rank: 36
36. Fridolina Rolfo
Country: Sweden
Club: Barcelona
Age: 30
Position: Forward
2023 Rank: 7
35. Olga Carmona
Country: Spain
Club: Real Madrid
Age: 24
Position: Left back
2023 Rank: 10
34. Emily Fox
Country: United states
Club: Arsenal
Age: 26
Position: Right back
2023 Rank: N/A(* Debut)
33.Lauren Hemp
Country: England
Club: Manchester City
Age: 24
Position: Forward
2023 Rank: 22
32. Alex Greenwood
Country: England
Club: Manchester City
Age: 31
Position: Central back/Left back
2023 Rank: 50
31. Selma Bacha
Country: France
Club: Lyon
Age: 23
Position: Defender
2023 Rank: N/A(* debut)
30. Alyssa Naeher
Country: United States
Club: Chicago Red Stars
Age: 36
Position: Goalkeeper
2023 Rank: N/A(*Debut)
29. Delphine Cascarino
Country: France
Club: San Diego Wave FC
Age: 27
Position: Forward
2023 Rank: N/A(*reentry)
28. Salma Paralluelo
Country: Spain
Club: Barcelona
Age: 20
Position: Forward
2023 Rank: 5
27. Lucy Bronze
Country: England
Club: Chelsea
Age: 33
Position: Right back
2023 Rank: 23
26. Marta
Country: Brazil
Club: Orlando Pride
Age: 38
Position: Forward
2023 Rank: N/A(* reentry)
25. Ann-Katrin Berger
Country: Germany
Club: NJ/NY Gotham FC
Age: 34
Position: Goalkeeper
2023 Rank: N/A (*debut)
24. Marie-Antoinette Katoto
Country: France
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Age: 26
Position: Striker
2023 Rank: N/A (*reentry)
23. Mayra Ramirez
Country: Colombia
Club: Chelsea
Age: 25
Position: Striker
2023 Rank: N/A (*debut)
22. Ewa Pajor
Country: Poland
Club: Barcelona
Age: 27
Position: Forward
2023 Rank: 42
21. Melchie Dumornay
Country: Haiti
Club: Lyon
Age: 21
Position: Forward
2023 Rank: 37
20. Ona Batlle
Country: Spain
Club: Barcelona
Age: 25
Position: Right back
2023 Rank: 25
19. Temwa Chawinga
Country: Malawi
Club: Kansas city Current
Age: 26
Position: Forward
2023 Rank: N/A(*debut)
18. Patri Guijarro
Country: Spain
Club: Barcelona
Age: 26
Position: Central midfielder/Center back
2023 Rank: 16
17. Lindsey Horan
Country: United States
Club: Lyon
Age: 30
Position: Central midfielder
2023 Rank: 29
16. Kadidiatou Diani
Country: France
Club: Lyon
Age: 29
Position: Forward
2023 Rank: 12
15. Mallory Swanson
Country: United States
Club: Chicago Red Stars
Age: 26
Position: Forward
2023 Rank: N/A (*reentry)
14. Yui Hasegawa
Country: Japan
Club: Manchester City
Age: 27
Position: Central midfielder
2023 Rank: 44
13. Alexia Putellas
Country: Spain
Club: Barcelona
Age: 30
Position: Central midfielder
2023 Rank: N/A (*reentry)
12. Tabitha Chawinga
Country: Malawi
Club: Lyon
Age: 28
Position: Forward
2023 Rank: N/A (*debut)
11. Linda Caicedo
Country: Colombia
Club: Real Madrid
Age: 19
Position: Forward
2023 Rank: 4
10. Lauren James
Country: England
Club: Chelsea
Age: 23
Position: Forward
2023 Rank: 11
9.Keira Walsh
Country: England
Club: Barcelona
Age: 27
Position: Central midfielder
2023 Rank: 17
8. Trinity Rodman
Country: United States
Club: Washington Spirit
Age: 22
Position: Forward
2023 Rank: N/A (*reentry)
7. Mariona Caldentey
Country: Spain
Club: Arsenal
Age: 28
Position: Forward
2023 Rank: 30
6. Khadija “Bunny” Shaw
Country: Jamaica
Club: Manchester City
Age: 28
Position: Striker
2023 Rank: 32
5.Sophia Smith
Country: United States
Club: Portland Thorns
Age: 24
Position :Forward
2023 Rank : 13
4. Caroline Graham Hansen
Country : Norway
Club: Barcelona
Age: 28
Position: Forward
2023 Rank: 15
3. Barbra Banda
Country : Zambia
Club: Orlando Pride
Age: 24
Position: Forward
2023 Rank: N/A (*debut)
2. Naomi Girma
Country : United States
Club: San Diego Wave
Age: 24
Position: Center back
2023 Rank: 21
1.Aitana Bonmati
Country : Spain
Club: Barcelona
Age: 26
Position: Central midfielder
2023 Rank: 1 (Unchanged)