FirstTouch’s Top 10 Female Players of 2019

Megan Rapinoe poses backstage during the 2019 Glamour Women Of The Year Awards at Alice Tully Hall on November 11, 2019 in New York City.

(Nov. 10, 2019 - Source: Getty Images North America)

In no chronological order, they are as follows;

1. Megan Rapinoe

It takes someone special to be a major influence both on and off the pitch. Megan Rapinoe has become one such player, a major force in the world of soccer who walks the talk. They say good things come to those who wait and seemingly Pinoe has had to wait until the twilight years of her career to become a global phenomenon. The year 2019 was particularly unreal for the USWNT star who led the Stars & Stripe to a record 4th World Cup title in France, finishing as a joint top goal scorer and taking home the Golden Ball Award for the best player of the tournament. The 34-year-old was also named the 2019 FIFA Best Women's Player of the Year and even won bigger battles off the pitch as she became a banner for gender equality advocacy in football.

2. Lucy Bronze

You have to be really good to get any mention on these lists if you are a defender. Fans of the game just have an interesting bias towards prolific goal scorers. Bronze is that good and more. The England international also had a fruitful 2019 as she helped the Lionesses finish 4th at the World Cup in France. At club level, the 28-year-old was also a key member of the Lyon squad that typically won multiple trophies, including the coveted Champions League title. The flying full-back was named the 2019 UEFA Women’s Player of the Year, finished 3rd behind Rapinoe and Alex Morgan on the FIFA Best Awards and also took home the Silver Ball from the World Cup finals in France.

3. Sam Kerr

Talk about scoring goals. The Australian international did that for fun in the 2019 NWSL season as her Chicago Red Stars reached the play-off finals. The 26-year-old bagged a total of 18 goals and served up 5 assists in 21 matches during the campaign, breaking the record of goals scored in a single season previously held by herself. In that process, she also extended her record as the all-time leading goal scorer in the American top-flight league. After months of speculation, with some of the big clubs in Europe reportedly monitoring her, Kerr eventually joined Chelsea at the end of the NWSL season in the FA WSL.

4. Ada Hegerberg

The Norwegian is no stranger to this list after being the first-ever woman to win the Ballon d'Or in 2018. She may have missed out on the 2019 World Cup finals in protest against her country's football federation on the grounds of poor investment in the women's game, but her club performance was just as impressive. She scored a total of 20 goals in 20 domestic league matches for the 2018/19 season, also helped Lyon retain the Champions League and French Ligue 1 titles. In fact, she bagged a hattrick in the UEFA final as the French club sank Barcelona by a 4-1 scoreline. Most remarkably, the 24-year-old striker became the all-time leading goal scorer in the Champions League in October when she scored her 53rd goal in 50 appearances, breaking the record previously held by the German Anja Mittag.

5. Wendie Renard

Lucy Bronze of England controls the ball during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup France group D match between England and Scotland at Stade de Nice on June 09, 2019 in Nice, France.

(June 8, 2019 - Source: Getty Images Europe)

The French international has a knack for scoring goals even though she is a center-back by trade. At the 2019 FIFA World Cup finals, she finished as the 5th joint top goal scorer with 4 strikes in 5 appearances for Les Bleus who were eliminated at the quarter-final stage by eventual champions, USWNT. Just like Bronze and Hegerberg, the 29-year-old Renard was a key figure in the Lyon side that won multiple trophies in 2019 and continues to prove to the world that they just might be the greatest living sports team. If men's football can boast being endowed with the immaculate Van Dijk, then women's football have the presence of Renard.

6. Vivianne Miedema

The Dutch forward could be the most talented forward in this generation and yes I am an Arsenal fan. Sue me if you may for being biased, but Miedema is almost as good as they come. At just 23-years-of age, the Gunners forward has already become the all-time leading goal scorer for both the women's and men's national teams in the Netherlands, surpassing the record previously held by her idol, Robin van Persie. In the year 2019, she helped Arsenal to a domestic treble and was awarded the PFA Women's Player of the Year, with her compatriot Van Dijk winning the men's accolade. She was also instrumental to the Oranje side who reached the 2019 World Cup finals, scoring 3 times in 7 appearances. In the ongoing Champions League campaign, Miedema is the top goal scorer with 10 in 4 matches and her club will play PSG in the last 8.

7. Alex Morgan

The 30-year-old also had a fun year being Rapinoe's "ride or die." Together they co-captained the USWNT to World Cup glory, also finishing as joint top goal scorers with 6 goals in 7 matches. She also received the FIFA Bronze Ball after being named the 3rd best player of the tournament in France and was among the three short-listed candidates for both the FIFA Best Awards and the UEFA individual prizes. Morgan didn't have as successful a club campaign with Orlando Pride in the NWSL and had to even pull out of the squad towards the end of the season to have surgery on a knee injury she had been nursing throughout the world cup.

Sari Van Veenendaal receives The Best FIFA women's goalkeeper of the year award at the Teatro alla Scala during The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019 on September 23, 2019 in Milan, Italy.

(Sept. 22, 2019 - Source: Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images Europe)

8. Lieke Martens

She is one of the quickest and most skillful women soccer players alive. Lieke Martens played through injury, helping the Netherlands reach the world cup finals in France. The winger's club form and exploits were relatively more fruitful as she was key in the Barca side that made the Champions League finals, eventually losing out to Lyon in the final. The 26-year eventually losing out to Lyon in the final. The 26-yearold just returned from the injury sustained during the world cup and like Messi, could be key in leading Barcelona to more silverware this new season.

9. Asisat Oshoala

Year after year, the Nigerian international continues to get a mention. The 25-year-old helped the Super Eagles to a historic knock-out round finish at the 2019 FIFA World Cup finals in France. Alongside South Africa's Thembi Kgatlana, they both top the list of the deadliest strikers on the African continent. With Lieke Martens, she also helped Barcelona reach the 2019 UEFA final, becoming the first African to score in the women's Champions League.

10. Sari van Veenendaal

No one had a safer pair of hands in 2019 than Atletico Madrid's van Veenendaal. The Dutch won the Golden Glove Award after being named the best goalkeeper at the 2019 World Cup finals where the Oranje finished 2nd behind the USWNT. She made a leading total of 23 saves during the world cup and earned herself a first-ever 2019 FIFA Best Women's Goalkeeper Award. Before France, the 29-year-old had also helped Arsenal to a domestic treble in the FA WSL. Now, she has been minding the goal for the Spanish champions who are in contention to win the Champions League crown after eliminating Manchester City in the round-of-16.

Special: Ronaldo equals Messi’s five Ballon d’Or wins

Cristiano Ronaldo was crowned 2017 best football player in the world. He now equals Messi’s five Ballon d’Or wins and sits level with the Argentinian atop the footballing elite. Cristiano enjoyed another standout campaign as he led Real Madrid to their first La Liga BBVA title in 5 years, tallying 25 goals and 6 assists. Perhaps, even more impressive were his 12 Champions League goals that helped secure Madrid their third trophy CL trophy in 3 years. The 2017 Ballon marked the seventh time in seven years that both the Portuguese Star and Messi finished in the top two for the award. You’d have to go back to 2007 for the last time another player won the award, when Kaka lifted the trophy after a legendary season with AC Milan.

With the 2018 World Cup on the horizon, it’s hard not to imagine Ronaldo and Messi are itching at another opportunity to distinguish themselves as the best once more. As for 2017, players who placed after first and second were Brazil’s Neymar at third and Juventus’ Buffon at fourth. Hear more from Cristiano on his special moment and checkout a Complete 2017 list of Ballon d'Or rankings with club/country.