Topend Sports Logo

FIFA World Player of the Year - Female

Here are the top FIFA women's player of the year since 2001. This award is given annually to the female player who is thought to be the best in the world, based on votes by coaches of international teams.

Since 2004 the voting process is based on a shortlist of 35 produced by FIFA, from which team captains and representatives from FIFPro could vote in addition to the national team managers. As you can see this award has been dominated by just a few players, with Marta having won six times.



The oldest winner is Nadine Angerer, who was 35 when she won in 2013. She is also the only goalkeeper to win either the women's or men's award. The youngest winner is Marta, who won in 2006 at age 20. After winning the award for five years in a row from 2006 until 2010, there was another eight years before she won it for a record sixth time in 2018.

See also the list of the Women's Ballon d'Or (Ballon d'Or Féminin) award and the FIFA male player of the year.

year player nationality
2023 Aitana Bonmati Spain
2022 Alexia Putellas Spain
2021 Alexia Putellas Spain
2020 Lucy Bronze England
2019 Megan Rapinoe USA
2018 Marta Brazil
2017 Lieke Martens The Netherlands
2016 Carli Lloyd USA
2015 Carli Lloyd USA
2014 Nadine Keßler Germany
2013 Nadine Angerer Germany
2012 Abby Wambach USA
2011 Homare Sawa Japan
2010 Marta Brazil
2009 Marta Brazil
2008 Marta Brazil
2007 Marta Brazil
2006 Marta Brazil
2005 Birgit Prinz Germany
2004 Birgit Prinz Germany
2003 Birgit Prinz Germany
2002 Mia Hamm United States
2001 Mia Hamm United States


Related Pages

send us a comment Any comments, suggestions, or corrections? Please let us know.

More Football

Football (some call it soccer) is the world's most popular sport. There are many major football tournaments, the pinnacle is the FIFA World Cup. See a calendar of what is coming up. There have been many legends of the game, particularly winners of the Ballon d'Or. For players, there are articles about Football Fitness and Fitness Testing.

Sport Extra

Check out the 800+ sports in the Encyclopedia of Every Sport. Well not every sport, as there is a list of unusual sports, extinct sports and newly created sports. How to get on these lists? See What is a sport? We also have sports winners lists, and about major sports events and a summary of every year.

 → How to Cite