Barcelona and Spain superstar Aitana Bonmatí has been officially named the best female footballer on the planet for the year 2025. The prestigious accolade comes from The Guardian's annual expert panel, which compiles a definitive list of the world's top 100 players.
The Voting Process: A Global Jury of 127 Experts
The result was determined by a distinguished international jury of 127 individuals, comprising current players, managers, and journalists from across the globe. Each judge was tasked with selecting and ranking their personal top 40 players. A points system was applied, with a first-place vote earning a player 40 points, second place receiving 39, and so on down to one point for a 40th-place selection.
To ensure the final ranking was robust and minimised the impact of any outlier scores, a key statistical adjustment was made. The highest single score awarded to each player was deducted from their total to produce the final, fair result. In total, a staggering 104,140 individual votes were cast and calculated to create the list.
Arsenal Duo Shine as Searchable Archive Launches
The top three featured a strong Arsenal presence, with England striker Alessia Russo and Spanish forward Mariona Caldentey both securing podium finishes. The pair were pictured celebrating a goal against Manchester City in October, a season where their club form clearly impressed the global panel.
Other notable placings included Manchester City's Chloe Kelly in 11th, just ahead of Barcelona's Caroline Graham Hansen in 12th. The fine margins of the list were highlighted by the fate of Arsenal's Lia Wälti, who finished agonisingly close in 101st place, just outside the published top 100.
For full transparency, The Guardian is publishing a complete breakdown of all the votes. To protect the independence of the judges, each voter is anonymised, identified only by their category (player, coach, or journalist) and a randomly assigned number.
Explore Every Vote in Women's Football History
A major new feature for the 2025 list is the launch of a comprehensive, searchable archive. This digital resource allows fans to look up any player who has ever received a vote since the inception of the Guardian's collaboration with the Offside Rule podcast to produce the ranking.
Whether searching for stars like Rachel Daly, Mary Fowler, Pernille Harder, or legendary defenders like Becky Sauerbrunn and Wendie Renard, their historical standing in the poll is now available to explore. This archive provides an unparalleled insight into the evolving recognition of talent in the women's game over the years.
The crowning of Aitana Bonmatí reaffirms her status as the defining player of her generation, following a year of exceptional performances for both club and country. The detailed results offer a fascinating snapshot of global expert opinion and celebrate the incredible depth of skill in modern women's football.
