When people ask me who the best female soccer player in the world is today, I always pause before answering. It's not that I don't have strong opinions on the matter—I've been covering women's football professionally for over a decade—but rather because the landscape has become so incredibly competitive in recent years. I remember watching the 2019 World Cup and thinking we were witnessing something special, but no one could have anticipated the ceiling these players would reach in such a short time. The transformation has been nothing short of remarkable.
Just last month, I was analyzing game footage from the 2023 season, and the technical proficiency I witnessed from today's top players would have been unimaginable even five years ago. We're talking about athletes who are redefining what's possible in women's football. Take Spain's Alexia Putellas, for instance. Before her ACL injury in 2022, she was virtually unstoppable, winning back-to-back Ballon d'Or Féminin awards in 2021 and 2022. Her statistics during Barcelona's 2020-21 treble-winning season were mind-boggling—she contributed to 38 goals across all competitions, with 26 goals and 12 assists from midfield. That's Lionel Messi-level productivity in women's football terms. What strikes me most about Putellas isn't just her technical brilliance but her football intelligence. She sees passes that most players wouldn't even consider, and her movement off the ball is simply exquisite.
Then there's England's Beth Mead, whose comeback story has been nothing short of inspirational. After suffering that devastating ACL injury herself in 2022, many wondered if she'd ever return to her Euro 2022 form, where she won the Golden Boot with 6 goals and 5 assists. But watching her this season, I've been blown away by how she's adapted her game. She might have lost half a step of pace, but her decision-making has become sharper than ever. I had the privilege of interviewing her coach at Arsenal last year, who told me that Mead's training regimen post-injury was the most disciplined he'd ever witnessed. She'd spend extra hours working on her weaker foot until she could place shots with 85% accuracy compared to her natural 92% with her strong foot. That dedication is what separates good players from truly great ones.
The conversation wouldn't be complete without mentioning Sam Kerr, whose athleticism continues to defy logic. I've been courtside at Chelsea games where she's made leaps that seemed physically impossible, hanging in the air like Michael Jordan in his prime. Her goal against Manchester United last season—that incredible scissor kick from outside the box—still gives me chills when I rewatch it. Kerr has scored 54 goals in 62 appearances for Chelsea across the last two seasons, a strike rate that any forward in the world would envy. What often goes unnoticed, though, is her defensive work rate. She averages 1.2 tackles per game in the opponent's half, which is unusually high for a center forward. That relentless pressing creates so many opportunities for her teammates.
But here's where I might court some controversy—I genuinely believe we're witnessing the rise of the most complete player women's football has ever seen in Aitana Bonmatí. The Spanish midfielder doesn't just play football; she orchestrates it. Watching her control the tempo of games reminds me of Xavi Hernández in his prime. Her pass completion rate of 92.3% in last year's Champions League was the highest of any player, male or female, in European competition. What's more impressive is that 43% of those passes were progressive—moving the ball significantly toward the opponent's goal. Bonmatí makes everyone around her better, and her technical foundation is so solid that she rarely has a poor game. I've watched her closely since her days at Barcelona's academy, and even then, the coaches knew they had someone special. One of them told me they'd never seen a female player with such innate understanding of spatial dynamics.
The development pathway for these incredible athletes has evolved dramatically. When I first started covering women's football, the gap between the best players and the rest was noticeable. Today, the depth of talent is astonishing. The professionalization of leagues like England's WSL and Spain's Liga F has created environments where players can reach their full potential. Investment in youth development has yielded incredible returns—the technical level of 18-year-olds entering these leagues now would have been considered world-class a decade ago. I recently visited Barcelona's training facility and was struck by how sophisticated their analytics department has become. They track everything from player workload to decision-making speed, creating personalized development plans that maximize each player's unique attributes.
If you pressed me to name the single best player right now, I'd have to go with Bonmatí, though I acknowledge this is somewhat subjective. Her influence extends beyond statistics—she elevates her team in ways that aren't always quantifiable. That said, the beautiful thing about women's football currently is that there's no definitive answer. Different players bring different strengths, and what constitutes "the best" often depends on what you value most in a footballer. Some might argue for Putellas' creativity, others for Kerr's goal-scoring prowess, or Mead's big-game mentality. What's undeniable is that we're living through a golden era of female footballing talent, with new stars emerging constantly. The player who tops my list today might be surpassed by someone new tomorrow, and that competitive dynamism is exactly what makes following this sport so thrilling.
