By Jacqui McLean & Melania Metanovic
Women’s soccer (also known as football) often does not get the respect and acknowledgment that it deserves. Female soccer players are fiercely competitive, immensely skilled athletes. The following women’s soccer players are some of the best active athletes playing today.
- Alexia Putellas
Alexia Putellas, a professional soccer player for Spain, plays midfield for Barcelona. Not only is she a captain for Barcelona, but Putellas is also a major player for the Spain national team. Last season, Putellas scored 11 goals in 10 games while playing in the Women’s Champion League. Despite recently suffering an ACL injury, Putellas is expected to continue to be a dominant player.
- Alex Morgan
Alex Morgan, the 33 year old forward playing for San Diego Wave and the U.S. Women’s National Team, is by far one of the greatest ball players of our time. In her 16 starts last season in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), Morgan accumulated 15 goals and 2 assists. Although Morgan may no longer be in her prime, in 2018, she was voted the U.S. Women’s Soccer Player of the Year.
- Sam Kerr
Sam Kerr is a forward for Chelsea in the FA Women’s Super League and captain of the Australia women’s national team. Kerr is known for her impressive goal-scoring ability. She is one of the most consistent performers in the game with over 100 goals for club and country. In addition to the Golden Boot in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and the Australian W-League, Kerr has also been named the AFC Women’s Player of the Year twice. To add on to her number of successes, Kerr has also been selected for the UEFA Women’s Team of the Year and the FIFA FIFPro World XI.
- Vivianne Miedema
Vivianne Miedema is a 25 year old Dutch professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Arsenal and the Netherlands national team. Miedema became the first women’s soccer player to score 100 goals in the FA Women’s Super League in June of 2022. She averages an assist every two games in addition to having a goal scoring record that hardly any other female soccer player has come close to matching. Aware of her global influence, Miedema openly uses her platform to emphasize the significance of mental health.
- Catarina Macario
Catarina Macario, a 22-year-old midfielder, contributes significantly to both Club Lyon in France and the U.S. Women’s National Team. Macario led Lyon in scoring during her first season with 23 goals in 35 games, including nine goals and two assists in the Champions League. With the USWINT, she has also made a breakthrough as National Team coach, Vlatko Andonovski, has demonstrated that the squad would be focusing on Macario’s strengths as a major element to the team’s success in the coming years.