# The Best FIFA Women's Player

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. From 2001 to 2015, the award was known as the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year.

## History

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. 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.

## Winners

| Year | Rank | Player | Team(s) | Votes |
| 2016 | 1st | Carli Lloyd | Houston Dash | 20.68% |
| 2016 | 2nd | Marta | FC Rosengård | 16.60% |
| 2016 | 3rd | Melanie Behringer | Bayern Munich | 12.34% |
| 2017 | 1st | Lieke Martens | Barcelona | 21.72% |
| 2017 | 2nd | Carli Lloyd | Houston Dash | 16.28% |
| 2017 | 3rd | Deyna Castellanos | Santa Clarita Blue Heat | 11.69% |
| 2018 | 1st | Marta | Orlando Pride | 14.73% |
| 2018 | 2nd | Dzsenifer Marozsán | Lyon | 12.86% |
| 2018 | 3rd | Ada Hegerberg | Lyon | 12.60% |
| 2019 | 1st | Megan Rapinoe | Reign FC | 46 |
| 2019 | 2nd | Alex Morgan | Orlando Pride | 42 |
| 2019 | 3rd | Lucy Bronze | Lyon | 29 |
| 2020 | 1st | Lucy Bronze | Manchester City | 52 |
| 2020 | 2nd | Pernille Harder | Chelsea | 40 |
| 2020 | 3rd | Wendie Renard | Lyon | 35 |
| 2021 | 1st | Alexia Putellas | Barcelona | 52 |
| 2021 | 2nd | Sam Kerr | Chelsea | 38 |
| 2021 | 3rd | Jenni Hermoso | Barcelona | 33 |
| 2022 | 1st | Alexia Putellas | Barcelona | 50 |
| 2022 | 2nd | Alex Morgan | Orlando Pride San Diego Wave | 37 |
| 2022 | 3rd | Beth Mead | Arsenal | 37 |
| 2023 | 1st | Aitana Bonmatí | Barcelona | 52 |
| 2023 | 2nd | Linda Caicedo | Deportivo Cali Real Madrid | 40 |
| 2023 | 3rd | Jenni Hermoso | Pachuca | 36 |
| 2024 | 1st | Aitana Bonmatí | Barcelona | 52 |
| 2024 | 2nd | Barbra Banda | Shanghai Shengli Orlando Pride | 39 |
| 2024 | 3rd | Caroline Graham Hansen | Barcelona | 37 |

### Wins by player

| Player | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Alexia Putellas | 2 (2021, 2022) | — | — |
| Aitana Bonmatí | 2 (2023, 2024) | — | — |
| 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) | — | — |

### Wins by country

| Country | Players | Total |
| Spain | 2 | 4 |
| United States | 2 | 2 |
| Netherlands | 1 | 1 |
| Brazil | 1 | 1 |
| England | 1 | 1 |

### Wins by club

| Club | Players | Total |
| Barcelona | 3 | 5 |
| 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)

| 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 |
| Aitana Bonmatí | — | 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 |

### Wins by player

| 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) | — | — |
| Aitana Bonmatí | 2 (2023, 2024) | — | — |
| 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) | — | — |

### Wins by country

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

### Wins by club

| Club | Players | Total |
| Barcelona | 3 | 5 |
| 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 |