The Best FIFA Women's Player

Summary

The Best FIFA Women's Player is a football award presented annually by the sport's governing body, FIFA, since 2016, to honour the player deemed to have performed the best over the previous calendar year.[1] From 2001 to 2015, the award was known as the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year.

The Best FIFA Women's Player
Current: The Best FIFA Football Awards 2023
Presented byFIFA
Formerly calledFIFA Women's World Player of the Year (2001–2015)
First awarded2016 (2016)
Current holderSpain Aitana Bonmati
(1st award)
Most awardsSpain Alexia Putellas
(2 awards)
Websitefifa.com

History edit

The selection criteria for the players of the year are: sporting performance, as well as general conduct on and off the pitch.

The votes are decided by media representatives, national team coaches, and national team captains. In October 2016, it was announced that the general public would also be allowed to vote.[2] Each group has 25% of the overall vote.

At the 2017 awards, 2016 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Bronze Ball and Bronze Shoe winner and amateur club player Deyna Castellanos was nominated. Professional players Megan Rapinoe and Sam Kerr criticized the nomination.[3]

Winners edit

Year Rank Player Team(s) Votes
2016 1st   Sam Kerr   Chelsea 20.68%
2nd   Marta   FC Rosengård 16.60%
3rd   Melanie Behringer   Bayern Munich 12.34%
2017 1st   Lieke Martens   Barcelona[note 1] 21.72%
2nd   Carli Lloyd   Houston Dash[note 2] 16.28%
3rd   Deyna Castellanos   Santa Clarita Blue Heat[note 3] 11.69%
2018 1st   Marta   Orlando Pride 14.73%
2nd   Dzsenifer Marozsán   Lyon 12.86%
3rd   Ada Hegerberg   Lyon 12.60%
2019 1st   Megan Rapinoe   Reign FC 46
2nd   Alex Morgan   Orlando Pride 42
3rd   Lucy Bronze   Lyon 29
2020 1st   Lucy Bronze[4]   Manchester City[note 4] 52
2nd   Pernille Harder[4]   Chelsea 40
3rd   Wendie Renard[4]   Lyon 35
2021[5] 1st   Alexia Putellas   Barcelona 52
2nd   Sam Kerr   Chelsea 38
3rd   Jennifer Hermoso   Barcelona 33
2022[6] 1st   Alexia Putellas   Barcelona 50
2nd   Alex Morgan 37
3rd   Beth Mead   Arsenal 37
2023[7] 1st   Aitana Bonmatí   Barcelona 52
2nd   Linda Caicedo 40
3rd   Jenni Hermoso   Pachuca 36

Wins by player edit

Player 1st 2nd 3rd
  Alexia Putellas 2 (2021, 2022)
  Carli Lloyd 1 (2016) 1 (2017)
  Marta 1 (2018) 1 (2016)
  Lucy Bronze 1 (2020) 1 (2019)
  Lieke Martens 1 (2017)
  Megan Rapinoe 1 (2019)
  Aitana Bonmatí 1 (2023)

Wins by country edit

Country Players Total
  Spain 2 3
  United States 2 2
  Netherlands 1 1
  Brazil 1 1
  England 1 1

Wins by club edit

Club Players Total
  Barcelona 3 4
  Houston Dash 1 1
  Orlando Pride 1 1
  Reign FC 1 1
  Manchester City 1 1

FIFA Women's Player of the Year (including predecessors) edit

Players FIFA Women's World
Player of the Year
(1991–2015)
The Best
FIFA Women's Player
(2016–present)
Total
  Marta 5 1 6
  Birgit Prinz 3 3
  Mia Hamm 2 2
  Carli Lloyd 1 1 2
  Alexia Putellas 2 2
  Homare Sawa 1 1
  Abby Wambach 1 1
  Nadine Angerer 1 1
  Nadine Keßler 1 1
  Lieke Martens 1 1
  Megan Rapinoe 1 1
  Lucy Bronze 1 1
  Aitana Bonmatí 1 1

Wins by player edit

 
Marta won FIFA's top Women's player award for a record 6th time.
Player Winner Second place Third place
  Marta 6 (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2018) 5 (2005, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016) 2 (2004, 2013)
  Birgit Prinz 3 (2003, 2004, 2005) 5 (2002, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
  Mia Hamm 2 (2001, 2002) 2 (2003, 2004)
  Carli Lloyd 2 (2015, 2016) 1 (2017)
  Alexia Putellas 2 (2021, 2022)
  Abby Wambach 1 (2012) 1 (2013) 2 (2011, 2014)
  Lucy Bronze 1 (2020) 1 (2019)
  Homare Sawa 1 (2011)
  Nadine Angerer 1 (2013)
  Nadine Keßler 1 (2014)
  Lieke Martens 1 (2017)
  Megan Rapinoe 1 (2019)
  Aitana Bonmatí 1 (2023)

Wins by country edit

Country Players Total
  United States 4 6
  Brazil 1 6
  Germany 3 5
  Spain 2 3
  Japan 1 1
  Netherlands 1 1
  England 1 1

Wins by club edit

Club Players Total
  Barcelona 3 4
  1. FFC Frankfurt 1 3
  Umeå IK 1 3
  Washington Freedom 1 2
  Houston Dash 1 2
  Santos 1 1
  FC Gold Pride 1 1
  INAC Kobe Leonessa 1 1
  Brisbane Roar 1 1
  VfL Wolfsburg 1 1
  Orlando Pride 1 1
  Reign FC 1 1
  Manchester City 1 1

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ Martens was signed by Barcelona from FC Rosengård midway through 2017.
  2. ^ Lloyd was on loan from the Houston Dash to Manchester City (FAWSL) from February to May 2017.
  3. ^ Castellanos was signed by Santa Clarita Blue Heat from Florida State Seminoles midway through 2017.
  4. ^ Bronze was signed by Manchester City from Lyon midway through 2020.

References edit

  1. ^ "Circular no. 1560" (PDF). FIFA.com. 21 October 2016. Archived from the original (pdf) on 25 October 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  2. ^ "The fans take centre stage". FIFA.com. 31 October 2016. Archived from the original on October 31, 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  3. ^ "Rapinoe: 'FIFA doesn't care' about women". ESPN.com. 2017-10-23. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  4. ^ a b c "The Best FIFA Football Awards 2020" (PDF). FIFA. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  5. ^ "The Best FIFA Football Awards 2021" (PDF). FIFA. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  6. ^ "The Best FIFA Football Awards 2022" (PDF). FIFA. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  7. ^ "Voting Breakdown: The Best FIFA Women's Player 2023" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 15 January 2024. Retrieved 15 January 2024.

External links edit

  • Official FIFA website
  • Official Facebook website