The 15 Greatest Women's Soccer Midfielders of All Time | OneFootball

Well, the countdown continues. After ranking the top 15 greatest women's soccer forwards of all time, it's now time to look at the center of the field.

What makes a good midfielder? Is it character and composure with so much chaos going on around you? Is it sheer technique? The ability to connect with teammates and turn a match on its head? That's what we're going to try and figure out.

Something to keep in mind is that a player's peak and a player's total statistics aren't always equal. Yes, one player could have amassed more numbers overall, but how special were they when they were at their best? How was the club or national team they played for a factor in the data or what they achieved in their career?

Here is Sport's Illustrated's top 15 greatest women's soccer midfielders of all time...

15. Shannon Boxx

2011, USA midfielder Shannon Boxx makes a run against New Zealand. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Peak: 2003-2009

Major Achievements: Three-time Olympic Gold Medalist, 2015 World Cup winner, and 2010 WPS Championship.

Revered for the way she read the game and carried herself off the pitch, Shannon Box was a consummate professional who firmed up the base of the USA midfield from 2003 until her retirement in 2015. She walked away with 195 caps and 27 goals for her country. In her prime, there were very few players you would want beside you more than Boxx.

14. Hege Riise

Hege Riise is now head coach of Norway / IMAGO/Bildbyran

Peak: 1994-2000

Major Achievements: 1995 FIFA World Cup and Golden Ball winner, 1993 UEFA Euro and Golden Ball winner, 2000 Olympic Gold medalist, 2002 WUSA Founder's Cup, 1992 Norwegian Cup, and1996 Japanese League title.

During the 1990s, there was a tornado whirling across soccer pitches around the world. That twister was Hege Riise. The Norwegian dribbled like she was shot out of a cannon. Her goal in the 1995 FIFA World Cup final was the crowning moment of her 188-match international career.

13. Kristine Lilly

Jun 19,1999; E. Rutherford, NJ -- USA midfielder Kristine Lilly (13) in action against Denmark during the 1999 women's World Cup at Giants Stadium. / RVR Photos-Imagn Images

Peak: 1994-2000

Major Achievements: Two FIFA World Cups, two Olympic Gold medals, and four NCAA National Championships.

In soccer, there will never be another player like Kristine Lilly. The persistent midfielder spent 23 years on the U.S. women's national team and holds the record for the most caps of any soccer player ever (men's or women's) with 354. Despite scoring 130 goals for the USA, she may be best remembered for her defensive clearance off the line in the 1999 FIFA World Cup final against China. Simply one of a kind.

12. Lauren Holiday

Jul 5, 2015; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; United States midfielder Lauren Holiday (12) reacts after scoring against Japan during the first half of the final of the FIFA 2015 Women's World Cup. / Erich Schlegel-Imagn Images

Peak: 2009-2015

Major Achievements: 2015 FIFA World Cup, two Olympic Gold medals, 2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship, two NWSL Championships, two-time NWSL MVP, 2013 NWSL Golden Boot, and 2014 U.S. Female Athlete of the Year.

A short career, a big impact. Lauren Holliday played for the USA for just eight years but took the world by storm in that time by lighting up the game with stunning long-range goals. At 28, after winning the 2015 FIFA World Cup and having scored in the final against Japan, the playmaker walked away from the sport already a legend with 133 caps and 24 goals.

11. Perpetua Nkwocha

The USA's Christie Rampone (3) races Nigeria's Perpetua Nkwocha (4) to the ball in the last match of group B of the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup at the Shanghai Hongkou Football Stadium. / CSPA-Imagn Images

Peak: 2004-2010

Major Achievements: Five WAFCON titles, four-time African Player of the Year, and three-time WAFCON Golden Boot.

What made Perpetua Nkwocha was her anticipation. The ability to predict how a play would unfold before it was happening. This arose from a superior focus and understanding of the game than most players. The Nigerian remains one of the greatest players ever to come out of Africa. Her legendary WAFCON moments include a four-goal haul in the 2004 final against Cameroon and scoring 11 goals in the 2010 tournament. She retired with 80 goals in just 99 appearances for the Super Falcons.

10. Aya Miyama

Jun 8, 2015; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Japan midfielder Aya Miyama (8) celebrates after scoring a goal against Switzerland goalkeeper Gaelle Thalmann (1) during the first half in a Group C soccer match in the 2015 Women's World Cup. / Anne-Marie Sorvin-Imagn Images

Peak: 2007-2012

Major Achievements: 2011 FIFA World Cup, 2014 Asia Cup and Golden Ball, and three-time AFC Women's Player of the Year.

The veering, curling beauty of an Aya Miyama free kick is something goalkeepers will never forget facing. The former Japan captain's magnificent technique and calm demeanor from the spot are partially what made her one of the most highly regarded players of the late 2000s. Of course, her career highlight will perhaps be her rugged short-range equalizer against the USA in the 2011 FIFA World Cup final, which helped to spark that famous comeback win on penalties.

9. Dzsenifer Marozsan

Aug 19, 2016; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Germany forward Dzsenifer Marozsan (10) celebrates scoring a goal in the women's soccer gold medal match between Sweden and Germany at Maracana during the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games. / Eric Seals-Imagn Images

Peak: 2013-2019

Major Achievements: 2013 UEFA Women's Euro, 2016 Olympic Gold, six UEFA Women's Champions Leagues, seven French Premiere Ligue titles, three-time German women's Soccer Player of the Year.

With a touch as light as a feather and a strike as hard as a rock, Dzsenifer Marozsan is one of the most entertaining soccer players ever. Incredible close control, matched with outrageous passing ability, allowed the notoriously shy German to let her game do the talking. She scored 33 times for her country in 112 appearances before retiring from international soccer in 2023. Her father, János Marozsán, was also a professional soccer player and represented Hungary.

8. Sissi

Sissi has left quite the impact on soccer / IMAGO/Nordphoto

Peak: 1995-2000

Major Achievements: Two Copa Americas, 2001 WUSA Founders Cup, 2004 WPSL Championship, 1999 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot winner, and four Brazilian league titles.

Before Marta, there was Sissi. A dead-ball specialist, no opposing goalkeeper was safe when the Brazilian stood ominously above the ball, waiting to spectacularly bend a free kick with an exquisite technical bend. It was at the 1999 FIFA World Cup in the USA that her star truly ascended. Brazil finished third overall, Sissi scored seven goals, won the Golden Boot, and then earned a headline-grabbing $5,000 move to Palmeiras. Sadly, she never featured at another World Cup again.

7. Kim Little

Aug 18, 2024; Washington, DC, USA; Arsenal FC midfielder Kim Little (10) walks with teammates and members of the kids' line onto the pitch prior to their friendly against Washington Spirit at Audi Field. / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Peak: 2012-2016

Major Achievements: Two NWSL Shields, three WSL titles, three FA Cups, six League Cups, 2015/16 Australian W-League title, 2013 PFA Player of the Year, 2014 NWSL MVP, and 2016 BBC Women's Footballer of the Year.

Born and raised in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, a teenage Kim Little used to drive seven hours round trip to Edinburgh to train with Hibernian. But all that dedication paid off. A maestro on the pitch, there's an artistic way to how Little plays the game with short passes and masterful turns generating breath-taking moments. Her two-season stint in the USA with Seattle Reign, where she had 40 goal involvements in 43 league matches, is the stuff of NWSL legend.

6. Sam Mewis

Jun 11, 2019; Reims, FRA; United States midfielder Sam Mewis (3) dribbles against Thailand during the second half of Group F play at the FIFA Women's World Cup. / Michael Chow-Imagn Images

Peak: 2016-2021

Major Achievements: 2019 FIFA World Cup, 2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship, 2013 NCAA National Championship, two NWSL Championships, three NWSL Shields, 2020/21 FA Cup, and 2020 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year.

Sam Mewis was tactically and structurally switched on and a ball-winning force all over the pitch. Few could make the right decision as consistently as Mewis. Injuries robbed her of several seasons before eventually forcing her to retire from soccer altogether in 2024. The engine and the glue behind the USA's great 2019 FIFA World Cup win.

5. Crystal Dunn

Jun 1, 2024; Commerce City, Colorado, USA; USA women’s national forward Crystal Dunn (19) during the second half against Korea Republic at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Peak: 2015-2020

Major Achievements: 2024 W Gold Cup, 2019 FIFA World Cup, 2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship, 2012 NCAA National Championship, three NWSL Championships, four NWSL Shields, 2021 CONCACAF Player of the Year, and 2015 NWSL MVP and Golden Boot.

Perhaps too accomplished at multiple positions, for many years, the soccer world has never consistently been able to see Crystal Dunn playing her preferred midfield role for the U.S. women's national team. While often deployed as a full-back for her country, at the club level, her immaculate positional awareness, control with both feet, and vision have sustained her as a creative force. One of the most decorated NWSL players in the league's history.

4. Formiga

Jun 9, 2015; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Brazil midfielder Formiga (20) celebrates a goal against South Korea at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. / Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Peak: 2010-2019

Major Achievements: 2013 UEFA Women's Euro, 2016 Olympic Gold, six UEFA Women's Champions Leagues, seven French Premiere Ligue titles, three-time German women's Soccer Player of the Year.

The eternal one. In the late 1990s, Miraildes Maciel Mota was given the nickname Formiga, which means ant in Portuguese, because of her tireless and unselfish style of play. The moniker stuck, and for 26 years, the defensive midfielder was the anchor that kept the Brazilian national team ticking along. She is the only player (men's or women's) to have featured in seven World Cups. She also played a record 254 matches with Brazil.

3. Pernille Harder

Aug 17, 2022; Portland, Oregon, USA; Chelsea forward Pernille Harder (right) battles for the ball with Olympique Lyonnais midfielder Danielle Van De Donk (left). / Soobum Im-Imagn Images

Peak: 2016-2021

Major Achievements: Three WSL titles, three FA Cups, 2020/21 League Cup, five Frauen Bundesliga titles, 2016 Swedish Damallsvenskan title and Golden Boot, two Swedish Cups, two-time Damallsvenskan MVP, and two-time UEFA Women's Player of the Year.

Versatile and valorous, one of Pernille Harder's most valuable attributes is her ability to feature anywhere in the midfield and attack. On and off the ball, the Dane has a ruthless nature. She can hound opponents in the press, compete for duels, or thrash the ball into the net from a tight angle. Even with Denmark struggling to level up on the international stage, she has amassed 156 appearances and 76 goals for her country. One the greatest all-rounders.

2. Aitana Bonmati

Aug 27, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; FC Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati (14) dribbles against Bay FC during the second half at Paypal Park. / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Peak: 2021-Present

Major Achievements: 2023 FIFA World Cup and Golden Ball winner, five Liga F titles, three UEFA Women's Champions League titles, six Copa de la Reinas, four Supercopa de Espana, 2023 UEFA Women's Player of the Year, and two-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Aitana Bonmati's command of the ball is a special thing. Her first touch is immaculate, but every single one that follows is precise and full of trickery. She glides around the pitch, bursts into space, and lights up the box. At 27, coming off two historic seasons with FC Barcelona and Spain, Bonmati is still bringing an intensity to show that she wants even more success.

1. Alexia Putellas

Aug 21, 2021; Portland, OR, USA; FC Barcelona midfielder Alexia Putellas (11) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Houston Dash at the Women's International Champions Cup. / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Peak: 2015-2022

Major Achievements: 2023 FIFA World Cup and Golden Ball winner, eight Liga F titles, three UEFA Women's Champions League titles, nine Copa de la Reinas, two Supercopa de Espana, two-time UEFA Women's Player of the Year, and two-time Ballon d'Or winner.

In Catalonia, Alexia Putellas is known as 'La Reina' -- the queen. Her kingdom is the half-space. The pockets between opposing that an ordinary player wouldn't be able to exploit. Famed for her outstanding left foot, when Putellas is not launching shots, she can flick and jink her way out of pressure and set teammates free with inch-perfect passes. She is Barcelona's all-time women's goalscorer with 205 and also holds the record for the most appearances for Spain's women's national team with 121.