Ranking the Top 25 Women's Players in the World

There are some big names missing from this Top 25 ranking of women's footballers.

While fans of Lauren James and Sam Kerr might be a little perturbed, the following rundown pinpoints the exceptional quality we're seeing from all corners of the globe as the women's game continues to build momentum in 2025.

Of course, one could troll and put forth Barcelona's entire squad, such is the Galactico-style collection of superstars put together in Catalonia.

It doesn't quite work out so easily, and thankfully so. Sit back, relax, and enjoy!

25. Linda Caicedo (Real Madrid & Colombia)

24. Katie McCabe (Arsenal & Republic of Ireland)

23. Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave & USA)

22. Fridolina Rolfo (Barcelona & Sweden)

21. Alexandra Popp (Wolfsburg & Germany)

20. Lauren Hemp (Manchester City & England)

19. Guro Reiten (Chelsea & Norway)

18. Ona Batlle (Barcelona & Spain)

17. Marie-Antoinette Katoto (Paris Saint-Germain & France)

16. Mariona Caldentay (Arsenal & Spain)

15. Patri Guijarro (Barcelona & Spain)

14. Mapi León (Barcelona & Spain)

13. Alexia Putellas (Barcelona & Spain)

12. Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit & USA)

11. Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City & Japan)

Significant injury halted Mallory Swanson's career at the worst possible time.

She missed the World Cup in 2023 but more than made up for it upon return with an excellent goal-scoring run of form for Chicago.

Swanson's recent success is defined by much more though; she scored the winner in the gold-medal match at the Paris Olympics, thrusting the United States and Emma Hayes to a stunning first triumph together.

At 26 years old, Swanson has overcome adversity and is already teetering on "legend."

Huge expectation comes with a world-record fee.

Mayra Ramírez perhaps wasn't initially the most obvious pick-up for Chelsea, despite her cracking form with Levante. The Colombian has only proved herself to be one of the world's best strikers since heading to West London in January 2024, both for club and country. She is capable of individual performances that almost single-handedly get her teams through.

Just ask Manchester United, who suffered a 6-0 defeat as Ramírez's brace and ability to run the show led Chelsea to the Women's Super League title on goal difference.

Goals follow Barbra Banda wherever she goes.

The Zambian international is the kind of striker who barely needs a sniff to make an impact, her lethality coming to the fore so often in the National Women's Soccer League or in international tournaments.

Seventeen goals and seven assists in 24 matches for Orlando Pirates in 2024. Fifty-seven goals in 63 appearances for Zambia. Numbers to salivate at. What's remarkable is it feels like Banda has been around forever, and she's only 24 years old.

So many of the United States' squad suffered before Hayes stepped in.

Vlatko Andonovski's poor management left youngsters exposed and toiling, while leaders like Lindsey Horan were given the impossible task of trying to organise a team that was floundering with an out-of-depth coach.

Horan's recent influence in the gold-medal win sums up her ability to direct and dictate. She's an old head by the US standards, but someone who has always been relied on to make her voice heard.

A wonderfully well-rounded player whose goal scoring at Lyon has also elevated her to another level.

Bunny Shaw has 50 goals in her last 37 WSL starts for Manchester City.

That's a better strike rate than Erling Haaland across half a century of games. Her insane ability to pretty much always impact a game gets even crazier with Jamaica, where she has racked up 57 goals in just 44 caps.

Shaw is the best out-and-out striker in the world. She is pacey, physically strong, excellent at holding the ball up and also timing her runs. If she gets space in the box it's usually game over.

One trophy in her four-year spell at Man City so far is not enough, and dare I say it, is potentially holding her reputation back.

Keira Walsh has a chance to be remembered as the Lionesses' greatest ever player when she eventually hangs up her boots.

Her pass for Ella Toone in the Euro 2020 final victory over Germany was just a snapshot of her ability that allows more explosive players, the type of which largely make up this list, to do their thing.

It's an assertion that is made all the more solid by Walsh's role at Barcelona, where she is currently the glue in the best club side in women's history. Walsh's footballing IQ and distribution sets her apart from most players.

Her ability to shield the defence while also catapulting her side forward with an exquisite pass is unmatched, her calmness in danger mirrored by an unassuming and quiet personality off the pitch.

EAFC players will know all about Sophia Smith. Her speed, dribbling skill and relentless attacking threat have also escaped the shadow of the pre-Hayes USWNT setup to put up her best year in the spotlight.

Smith is no longer a massive hope for the future; she's already a vital player for both the national side and Portland Thorns, whose average NWSL season would have looked a lot worse without her 12 goals last campaign.

We can expect to see Smith, alongside Trinity Rodman, really come to the fore in the run up to the 2027 World Cup. Many people already know, but if they don't, they will soon.

The player who had everyone talking at last year's World Cup.

Salma Paralluelo is one of those stars who makes everything look so easy. She is gifted with electric pace and knack for cutting through defences. Teams often try to employ specific game-plans to stop her taking control, but really, it's to little use.

At 21 years old, Paralluelo is a consistent difference-maker and already plays with the maturity befitting of a world champion.

It's not easy to stand out when you represent the two best teams in the world, yet here we are, praising a youngster who could well define the next decade of women's football.

On the opposite wing to Paralluelo is the brilliant Caroline Graham Hansen, a player who highlights just how unfair it is to play against Barcelona before we even take into account the No. 1 spot on this list.

Graham Hansen is only just starting to receive the plaudits she deserves. Her career has produced goal after goal and trophy after trophy, with 26 across La Liga and the Champions League playing a pivotal role in Barca dominating last season.

The Norwegian barely possesses a weakness to her game. She takes up excellent positions and understands when to get into the box, she's quick, she can finish all types of goals. Barca's control on the ball means Graham Hansen has plenty of time to think, and luckily for them, she is an expert at isolating players before receiving the ball and whizzing beyond them.

A potential shout for next year's Ballon d'Or if she keeps it up.

Watching Aitana Bonmati play football is like watching evolution sped up. The Barcelona legend has managed to mix various midfield roles together to create something new and special.

She dictates play, knows how to alleviate pressure and covers well when gaps form. But she's also a prolific contributor to goals, setting moves in motion with a momentum building pass that totally removes her nearest marker from the game. That's if she isn't scoring them herself.

Bonmati's reading of the game state and decision-making means she is just as likely to pop up with a vital goal as she is to get her team away from pressure.

The two-time Ballon d'Or winner is an icon of the modern era and the deserved face of women's football gaining traction all over the world.