Top 10 Female Footballers Of All Time
Women’s football has seen many changes in recent years, one of them being its recognition from around the world. Although the recognition has come quite late, the women’s football sphere has not stopped producing extraordinary players for years. The players had made individual places in the field regardless of gender and developed the game scope further for so many other women to display their football skills and shoot their careers high. In the honor of those marvellous women here is the list of top 10 female footballers of all time that took the football world by storm with their power and tactics:
Football is a game that unites people around the globe.it is a game that depends on teamwork, sheer determination and hard work. So regardless of any gender, people with this kind of determination and belief in themselves can shine through like a gem. Women in football too have been continuously thriving and successfully levelling up the game and though the process is gradual, we hope that women’s soccer will someday dominate the world of football in the same way as men’s football or at least have equal importance. The future is promising and we all are excited to welcome it.
10. Nadine Angerer (Goalkeeper, Germany)
Nadine has 146 international caps in her name, Angerer is without any doubt the greatest goalkeeper of all time who has been named FIFA World Player of the Year in 2013, the first goalkeeper to win it. She debuted with her goalkeeping in the 2007 Women’s World Cup and from then she stopped goals like she was meant to. A professional at stopping penalties, she has stopped goals and penalties for her team against high major teams like Brazil and Sweden. She was named the Germany captain after Prinz retired in 2011, and made two vital penalty saves against Sweden to help Germany to the 2013 European championship where she helped the team to gain victory by saving two penalties in the final against Norway.
9. Christine Sinclair (Forward, Canada)
One of the best all-rounders of her time Christine Sinclair is a powerhouse on the field playing like a midfielder, bringing the ball forward towards the opposition goal. She has 296 international caps and has made 186 international goals and has participated in five World Cup tournaments and two different Olympics. Abby Wambach had long commented on Sinclair being the most underrated player in the whole world. Her most memorable performance might have been her hat-trick in the 2012 Olympics which unfortunately they lost in the semi-final with a score of 4-3 against the USA. Although she is with the loss of a World Cup medal and Olympic gold, Sinclair has to be seen as the greatest footballer to ever come from Canada.
8. Kelly Smith (Forward, England
The all-time top scorer for England, Smith has 46 goals in 115 caps over a remarkable international career that lasted two decades (1995-2015). Smith used to play various attacking roles throughout her career but she had to tackle her injuries several times during this. By making an impact with both her legs, she became the first athlete in any sport to be named Big East offensive player of the year and newcomer of the year in the same season. She helped England qualify for their first Women’s World Cup in 2007 and also played in the tournament in 2011. Smith retired from internationals at the age of 36 in 2015.
7. Homare Sawa (Forward, Japan)
Homare Sawa is known to be the best Asian player of all time. Sawa first gained the world’s attention with her first international debut against the Philippines, scoring four times and taking her country towards a magnificent victory. With her extraordinary vision and goal-scoring skills, she led Japan to its first victory in its first Women’s World Cup in 2011. She scored in the 117th minute of the final before Japan beat the US on penalties. She also took with her the honour of 2011 Fifa world player of the year along with the Golden Ball and Golden Boot. She retired at the age of 37, collecting 83 goals in 204 appearances with both Japanese records.
6. Abby Wambach (forward, USA)
Wambach is one of the biggest legends in the football world. She never missed a heading opportunity, scoring more than a third of her goals in the air en route to a world-record 184 international strikes in 255 matches with also 75 assists in her name. Wambach has the qualities of Cristiano Ronaldo in aerial duels. She made the greatest Women’s World Cup goal with a header that led to a spectacular goal scored in stoppage time after 120 minutes against Brazil in the 2011 World Cup quarter-finals leading the USA to win.
Before retiring in 2015 Wambach finally completed her tough pursuit of winning the World Cup with the USA at the 2015 competition in Canada. She is regarded as one of the most influential sportspeople in the world.
5. Sun Wen (forward, China)
Sun Wen is the pride of China’s women’s soccer team and also one of the greatest female soccer players in history. Wen represented her country in the four FIFA Women’s World Cup and 2 Olympics. She was part of the Chinese female national team that hosted the first official FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1991. She emerged as the best player and the joint top scorer of the 1999 Fifa Women’s World Cup along with Marta Silva. She scored 106 international goals in 163 appearances before her retirement in 2006. Even though China’s team lost in the finals of 1999, Wen scored 7 goals for her team with a tremendous performance.
A player that will go down as one of the best ever for her country.
4. Birgit Prinz(Attacking midfielder, Germany)
The eight-time German female footballer of the year Birgit Prinz is the second all-time leading goal scorer in FIFA women’s World Cup history as of 2021. She has a killer instinct for scoring with every shot she takes. Her reflexes and lighting pace make her a dangerous player on the field. In her international debut at just 16, she struck the game-winner after coming on as a substitute. Prinz and her Germany team wound the 2003 and 2007 women’s World Cup in which she earned the golden ball and the silver ball respectively. she was 19 domestic trophies which includes German league titles and 10 German Cups. For her clubs, she scored a total of 282 goals.
Prinz retired in 2011 at the age of 34 and later to cup the role of a sports physiologist for Hoffenheim’s Man and Women teams. A true legend in all forms.
3. Michelle Akers(defensive midfielder, USA)
The USA female football team that ruled the 90s included the lethal striker Michelle Akers. She actually played for 2 positions in women’s football, 1 as a forward and the 2nd as a defensive midfielder. Her speed and height combined were a deadly combo through which she could outrun defenders with her long stride. Her goals in the 1991 FIFA women’s World Cup helped the USA to gain their first victory against Norway. she scored a total of 10 goals in this 1991 tournament which made her the top scorer. In the years after the 1991 victory, she was diagnosed with Immune Dysfunction syndrome which made her a defensive midfielder instead of a striker. In her last major tournament as a professional footballer and she won the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The football legend has dedicated her life to the game throughout her career and in her honour, FIFA awarded her the Order of Merit which is apparently FIFA’s highest award. Akers is also a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame who retired at the age of 34 having scored 105 times in 153 international games.
Michelle is an example that no matter how difficult it gets we should never lie down but instead get back up and fight.
2. Mia Hamm (Forward, USA)
Although Hamm was the forward she often played like a midfielder. Her tactics would dodge the defender and allow her to even go to the goal. The assists made by Hamm were spot-on with her amazing goalscoring skills and vision and she, therefore, retains the record of 144 assists. She earned 275 Caps along with 158 international goals. She was a part of the USA female soccer team that won the 1991 and 1999 FIFA women’s World Cup. She also won 2 Olympic gold medals in 1996 and 2004 and earned a silver medal in 2000. She was the holder of the FIFA Women’s World Player of the year consecutively in the years 2001 and 2002. Hamm is also a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame who ultimately retired in 2004.
Now she is the owner/partner in the Los Angeles Football Club which started playing in Major League Soccer in 2017.
1: Marta Silva (Forward, Brazil)
Often called the “Pele in skirts” and the “Ronaldinho” of female football Marta is undoubtedly the greatest female footballer ever. She has the true Brazils footballing genes in her that the world is fond of. Marta is great at dodging and her goalscoring capabilities are like none other; she is the first Footballer regardless of gender to score five different FIFA World cups. She even outdid Pele or any Brazilian footballer with the most goals in international football with scores of 109 goals in 155 matches. She also holds the record of scoring the most goals in FIFA World Cup history with 17 goals. The player also acts as a defender whenever needed with exclusive and extraordinary dribbling and scoring goals with her superb vision. One of Marta’s best moments was her finish at the 2007 women’s World Cup where Brazil was the runner up. She also owns silver medals at the Olympics in 2004 and 2008.
Marta has been a great inspiration for the women out there and around the world who are striving hard in this male-dominated football world. She has been very vocal about it and she inspires a hundred thousand fans by the journey she led.
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