The final part of our positional countdown of the best-ever women's soccer players is here. We have crowned the 15 greatest fearsome forwards, the 15 greatest midfield maestros, the 15 greatest dominant defenders, and so now it's time to zoom in on goalkeepers.
Truly elite goalkeepers change the outcome of a match. They combine quick reactions with balletic control of their body. In some ways, it is the most thankless position in soccer. In other ways, the most glorious.
As always, something to keep in mind is that this list looks to evaluate how special a player was when they were at their best. That could be their club or national team career, or a combination of the two. All while taking into account that club or national team, and how it could have helped or hindered their ability to win trophies or develop their game.
Here is top 15 greatest women's soccer defenders of all time..
15. Gao Hong
Peak: 1993-1999
Major Achievements: Six-time Asia Cup winner, and 1997 Chinese Super League winner.
Notoriously stoic and fierce, Brandi Chastain once said of Gao Hong's ability to put off opponents: "She got in my head and as I approached the ball I was thinking more about her than about what I should be doing." A mainstay of China's dominance in the 1990s and an impressive debut season with the New York Power in 2001.
14. Emma Byrne
Peak: 2004-2010
Major Achievements: 2006/07 UEFA Women's Champions League, two English Women's Super League titles, nine English Women's Premier League titles, nine FA Cups, seven Leagues Cups, and two-time Irish Women's Player of the Year.
The Irishwoman's outstanding 17-year spell with Arsenal is likely something we will never see at club soccer again. With the Gunners, Emma Byrne won it all and several times over. The peak was the 2007 Champions League final where she kept two clean sheets in the two-legged final against Swedish side Umea. Unfortunately, she never played at a major international tournament during her 134-cap Ireland career.
13. Aubrey Kingsbury
Peak: 2019-Present
Major Achievements: 2021 Concacaf Women's Championship, 2021 NWSL Championship, 2018/19 Australian W-League title, and two-time NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year.
Due to the incredible dominance of Hope Solo and Alyssa Naeher, it has been hard for Aubrey Kingsbury to get international opportunities. Despite being one of the best goalkeepers in the history of the National Women's Soccer League, the 33-year-old from Cincinnati has just two caps for the USA. Even so, keen watchers of the Washington Spirit will know she's an electric shot-stopper whose penalty heroics in the 2024 playoff semifinals will be remembered forever.
12. Marleen Wissink
Peak: 1999-2005
Major Achievements: Two UEFA Women's Champions League titles, five Frauen Bundesliga titles, and five DFB Pokal titles.
It was a long road for the Netherlands to find success. The Northern Europeans didn't qualify for their first major tournament until 2009. But during the disappointing years, Marleen Wissink, who retired in 2006, kept matches much closer than they could have been. In the early 2000s, she was regarded as one of the best in Europe as she conquered all with FFC Frankfurt.
11. Ayumi Kaihori
Peak: 2010-2015
Major Achievements: 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, 2014 Women's Asia Cup, 2010 Asian Games Gold Medalist, three Japanese Nadeshiko League titles, and four Empress Cups.
Ayumi Kaihori had a surprisingly short career but made it count. Turning professional at 22, she retired at 33 after losing the 2015 World Cup final to the USA. In addition to an illustrious career in her native Japan with Kobe Leonessa, she will be best remembered for her incredible saves four years before. In Germany, Kaihori saved penalty kicks from Shannon Boxx and Tobin Heath to clinch Japan's first and only World Cup title.
10. Hedvig Lindahl
Peak: 2013-2019
Major Achievements: Two Swedish Cups, two English Women's Super League titles, two FA Cups, 2019/20 Frauen Bundesliga and DFB Pokal titles, 10-time Swedish Goalkeeper of the Year, and 2014 Damallsvenskan MVP.
A huge factor in Sweden's rise to the top tier of international soccer in the 2010s, Hedvig Lindahl was very much a goalkeeper who thrived under pressure. Despite never winning the Swedish Damallsvenskan, she helped teams climb the table by withstanding a barrage of shots. Once joining Chelsea, she helped Emma Hayes win her first major trophy. A culture setter, who relished the chance to get off her line and claim the ball.
9. Sarah Bouhaddi
Peak: 2015-2020
Major Achievements: 11 French Premiere Ligue titles, eight Coupe de France titles, eight UEFA Women's Champions League titles, 2019/20 UEFA Goalkeeper of the Year, 2020 FIFA Goalkeeper fo the Year, and three-time IFFHS Best Goalkeeper.
One of the most decorated club players in European soccer history, Sarah Bouhaddi was the starting goalkeeper during Lyon's historic dominance during the 2010s. During her 16-year stint on the French national team, she amassed 149 caps. Bouhaddi has always brought a frenetic energy and a watchful eye to her goalkeeping style.
8. Ann Katrin Berger
Peak: 2020-Present
Major Achievements: 2011/12 Frauen Bundesliga, four English Women's Super League titles, three FA Cups, two League Cups, 2020/21 WSL Golden Glove, 2024 Germany Women's Footballer of the Year, and 2024 NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year.
Despite just 17 appearances for her national team, Ann Katrin Berger has risen in profile ahead of other German goalkeepers of her era, such as Amulth Schult and Merle Frohms. It wasn't until she was 16 that Katrin Berger transitioned to playing goalkeeper and it shows in her propensity to want the ball and play out from the back. There's a quiet magnitude to the way she plays. A severity in her pauses. The 34-year-old's iconic hands-behind-the-back penalty stance has proven to be a quirky but effective technique, as seen at the 2024 Paris Olympics where she saved four penalty kicks and Germany won bronze.
7. Silke Rottenberg
Peak: 1998-2007
Major Achievements: Two FIFA Women's World Cups, three UEFA Women's Euro titles, three Frauen Bundesliga titles, three DFB-Pokal titles, 2007/08 UEFA Women's Champions League, and 1998 German Women's Footballer of the Year.
During Silke Rottenberg's 125-cap Germany career, the Europeans set the standard for world soccer. It was in Portland, Oregon, in 2003, when the power shifted from the USA to Germany. Rottenberg's dazzling display earned her player of the match in that 3-0 World Cup semifinal win over the Americans. Rather than be bitter over the shock, the USA lauded the Germans' performance. In 2007, Rottenberg would injure her knee and eventually be surpassed as the starter.
6. Bente Nordby
Peak: 1995-2002
Major Achievements: 1993 UEFA Women's Euro title, 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup, 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist, 2002 Norwegian League title, 2005 Norwegian Cup, and 2007 Damallsvenskan Goalkeeper of the Year.
In 1991, Bente Nordby's international career started with a bang. A 1-0 shutout win against the United States was a statement of intent from a young goalkeeper against the soon-to-be World Cup champions. By 1995, Norby had ascended to Norway's starter. She conceded just one goal in that tournament as her country won its only World Cup in 1995 by icing out Germany 2-0 in the final.
5. Alyssa Naeher
Peak: 2019-2024
Major Achievements: Two FIFA Women's World Cups, 2024 Olympic Gold Medalist, 2024 W Gold Cup, two Concacaf Women's Championships, 2014 NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year, 2018 Concacaf Goalkeeper of the Year, and 2024 FIFA and USA Goalkeeper of the Year.
The crossword-loving and understated Alyssa Naeher always wanted to let her goalkeeping do the talking. She has never been one to desire the spotlight, and has often been in the background as the USA rose back to prominence in the 2010s. In 2024, Naeher retired from international soccer at the top of her game. Quick reaction saves in finals and penalty shootout rescue acts capped off a magical end to her 115-cap tenure as USA number one.
4. Christiane Endler
Peak: 2019-Present
Major Achievements: Three French Premiere Ligue titles, two Coupe de France titles, 2021/22 UEFA Women's Champions League, four Chilean League titles, 2012 Copa Libertadores Femenina, and 2021 FIFA Goalkeeper of the Year.
There's almost no save Christiane Endler can't pull off. The Chilean has been a trailblazer for a position that has come a long way over the past decade. She can cover all angles of the goal, and has an immense concentration level. Despite being just 33, Endler has already retired from international soccer with 103 caps for her country. A focus on her club career combined with her country's inability to continue staunch investment has sadly left the soccer world without Endler in future international tournaments.
3. Nadine Angerer
Peak: 2005-2013
Major Achievements: Two FIFA Women's World Cups, five UEFA Women's Euro titles, two Frauen Bundesliga titles, four DFB-Pokal titles, 2004/05 UEFA Women's Champions League, and 2007 FIFA Goalkeeper of the Year.
The 2007 World Cup lives on as Nadine Angerer's tournament. As the back-up to Silke Rottenberg, she bided her time and then rose to prominence by conceding zero goals in the tournament as Germany lifted the trophy in China. Her record of six matches (540 minutes) without conceding a goal remains a record. Known for her penalty prowess, she iconically stopped Marta from the spot in the 2007 World Cup final.
2. Bri Scurry
Peak: 1996-2004
Major Achievements: 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, three Concacaf W Gold Cups, and 2003 WUSA Goalkeeper of the Year.
Bri Scurry is one of the first great goalkeepers to take the position mainstream. With the Minnesotan in goal, the position became no longer a passive defensive role but a hero-making influential part of the team. She has the second-most caps, 173, of any USA goalkeeper. Her penalty stop in the 1999 World Cup final may be her most famous moment, but the performance of her career was the unstoppable showing in the 2-0 semifinal win over Brazil. Nothing could phase the American on that day. It was a masterclass in focus and positioning.
1. Hope Solo
Peak: 2008-2015
Major Achievements: 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, two Concacaf Women's Championship titles, 2009 WPS Goalkeeper of the Year, 2014 NWSL Shield, two FIFA Women's Golden Gloves, and 2009 U.S. Athlete of the Year.
With 202 caps, no one has stood in goal for the USA more than Hope Solo. Particularly during the 2011 to 2015 period, almost no other player on the U.S. women's national team had quite the swagger or struck as much fear into an opponent as Solo. The Washington native could stretch and leap further than any other goalkeeper, getting a paw to shots that looked destined for the net. A one-handed brick wall stop against Marta in the 2008 Olympic final could be the best of dozens of impossible blocks.
