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Megan Rapinoe -

Country: USA

Position: Forward

Highlights: Recipient of the 2022 Presidential Medal of Freedom, she won the World Cup in 2015 and 2019, and gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics, with her national team. The 2023 World Cup will be her final one.

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Marta -

Country: Brazil

Position: Forward

Highlights: Often regarded as the greatest female soccer player of all time, she has been named FIFA World Player of the Year six times. This will also be her final World Cup. 

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Christine Sinclair -

Country: Canada

Position: Forward

Highlights: She's the world's all-time leader for international goals scored for men or women. And she's coming off of a gold medal win for Canada at the last Summer Olympics.

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Sam Kerr -

Country: Australia

Position: Forward

Highlights: This record-setter has the most goals in a match, season, and all around in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), as well as the most goals ever and in a single season of the W-League.

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Keira Walsh -

Country: England 

Position: Midfielder

Highlights: 2022 was huge for Keira Walsh. She won the UEFA Women's Euro title for England and the UEFA Women's Champions League with Barcelona. That same year she became the world's most expensive female soccer player following her transfer from Manchester City to FC Barcelona for £400,000 (roughly US$525,000).

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Pernille Harder -

Country: Denmark

Position: Forward

Highlights: Considered one of the best soccer players in the world, she won the UEFA Women's Player of the Year Award in 2018 and 2020.

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Lieke Martens -

Country: Netherlands

Position: Forward

Highlights: She was named The Best FIFA Women's Player and won the UEFA Women's Player of the Year Award, both in 2017.

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Caroline Graham Hansen -

Country: Norway 

Position: Midfielder 

Highlights: She was nominated for the Best FIFA Football Awards in 2019 and 2020. She also the won UEFA Women's Champions League twice with FC Barcelona.

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Wendie Renard -

Country: France 

Position: Defender

Highlights: Playing for Lyon, she has won a record 14 French league titles and eight UEFA Women's Champions League trophies.

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Asisat Oshoala -

Country: Nigeria

Position: Forward

Highlights: She was named African Women's Footballer of the Year a record five times, in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2022. With her club, Barcelona, she's won the UEFA Women's Champions League twice.

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Aitana Bonmati -

Country: Spain

Position: Midfielder

Highlights: She was named UEFA Women's Champions League Player of the Season for 2022–23, which she won with her club, Barcelona.

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Jéssica Silva -

Country: Portugal 

Position: Forward 

Highlights: Portugal's star player, she's coming off two national Portuguese championships with her team Benfica. Previously, she won the UEFA Women's Champions League with French side Lyon.

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Ana-Maria Crnogorčević -

Country: Switzerland  

Position: Defender

Highlights: She's the player with the most caps on the Swiss team. She's won the UEFA Women's Champions League with FFC Frankfurt and FC Barcelona.

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Khadija "Bunny" Shaw -

Country: Jamaica 

Position: Forward 

Highlights: Jamaica's all-time top goalscorer, she was named CONCACAF Female Player of the Year for 2022.

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Lena Oberdorf -

Country: Germany 

Position: Midfielder

Highlights: Playing for VfL Wolfsburg, she won the Best Young Player at Euro 2022 and was included in the tournament’s Best XI by UEFA coaching staff.

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Estefanía Banini -

Country: Argentina

Position: Midfielder

Highlights: She won the Copa Libertadores Femenina in 2012 with Chilean side Colo-Colo. She now plays for Spanish club Atlético Madrid, where she won the Copa de la Reina (Queen's Cup) in 2023.

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Ghizlane Chebbak -

Country: Morocco 

Position: Forward

Highlights: She was named the player of the tournament for the 2022 Africa Women Cup of Nations. She was also the top scorer.

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Barbara Bonansea -

Country: Italy

Position: Forward

Highlights: She was named AIC Serie A Female Footballer of the Year in 2016, and has won the Serie A and Coppa Italia with Brescia and Juventus.

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Racheal Kundananji -

Country: Zambia

Position: Forward 

Highlights: Playing for Madrid CFF, she scored 25 goals and finished runner-up for top goalscorer in the Liga F this past season.

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Ji So-yun -

Country: Korea Republic

Position: Forward

Highlights: Her honors include being named Asian Women's Footballer of the Year in 2013. She's also the all-time top scorer of the South Korean women's national team.

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Thembi Kgatlana -

Country: South Africa 

Position: Forward 

Highlights: At the 2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations, she won the Player of the Tournament and was the top goalscorer. She also represented South Africa at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, where she scored her country's first goal ever in the tournament.

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Katie McCabe -

Country: Republic of Ireland 

Position: Midfielder 

Highlights: She was named her national team's captain in 2017, becoming the youngest captain in the team's history. She was 21.

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Kosovare Asllani -

Country: Sweden

Position: Midfielder 

Highlights: Known for her speed and technique, she's currently playing for AC Milan. She won two Damallsvenskan (Swedish League) with Linköpings FC, in 2009 and 2017.

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Linda Caicedo -

Country: Colombia

Position: Forward

Highlights: She was the top scorer at the 2021 Copa Libertadores Femenina, and was awarded the IFFHS World's Best Youth (U20) Player in 2022.

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Raquel Rodríguez Cedeño -

Country: Costa Rica 

Position: Forward 

Highlights: With more than 100 caps to her name, she's Costa Rica’s leading goalscorer. She's coming off a NWSL Championship for the Portland Thorns in 2022.

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Yui Hasegawa -

Country: Japan

Position: Midfielder 

Highlights: She won the AFC Women's Asian Cup and the Asian Games with Japan, both in 2018.

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Ali Riley -

Country: New Zealand

Position: Defender

Highlights: She was named to the First XI All Star Selection of the Damallsvenskan (Swedish League) every year from 2013 to 2015.

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Melchie Dumornay -

Country: Haiti 

Position: Midfielder 

Highlights: In 2022, she won Goal's NXGN award as the best teenage player in the world.

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Tang Jiali -

Country: China PR

Position: Midfielder 

Highlights: She was nominated for the prestigious Best Young Player award at the World Cup in 2015.

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Hali Long -

Country: Philippines 

Position: Centre-back

Highlights: Since making her national team debut in 2016, she has earned more than 70 caps. She's coming off a 2022 AFF Women's Championship win with the Philippines.

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Huỳnh Như -

Country: Vietnam  

Position: Forward 

Highlights: She's the top scorer for the Vietnamese national team. In August 2022, she became the first Vietnamese female soccer player to play professionally in Europe, by signing for Portuguese club Länk FC Vilaverdense.

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Lineth Cedeño -

Country: Panama   

Position: Forward 

Highlights: She scored the winning goal over Paraguay to secure her nation's spot Down Under.

Sources: (FIFA) (ESPN) (BBC)

See also: The most influential female athletes of all time

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