Top five female football players in the world

The likes of Marta and Alex Morgan have taken women's football to a different level.

Football is a sport where gender matters little and the beautiful game is played by both men and women with the same passion, charisma, grit, and determination. Gone are the days when football, or sports in general, was a male-dominated field. Gone are the days when women's football was overshadowed by the popularity of their male counterparts and remained an afterthought.

In today's atmosphere women footballers are respected, adored and given equal preference as that of men. Women's football has been garnering huge support recently from fans, be it men or women.

One example that puts rise of women's football into perspective is the inclusion of women's national teams in the FIFA 16 game by EA, back in 2015. Better late than never, this was a historic achievement for women football as a whole since FIFA franchise is one of the most popular games out there today.

Therefore, we take a look at the top-five female football players in the world right now who are spearheading the popularity of the female players and setting an example for young boys and girls to follow.

5. Carli Lloyd

The 36-year-old  is a World Cup winner

A veteran in women's football, Carli Anne Lloyd, has had a long, successful and a well-decorated career. Two-time Olympic gold medalist in Beijing 2008 and in London 2012, she has also won the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2011 for the United States of America on her third attempt, captaining her team to the title.

The 36-year-old currently plays for Sky Blue FC in the National Women's Soccer League. Carli Lloyd defies the concept of age and went on to be crowned FIFA Player of the Year in 2015 and 2016. The midfielder is an icon and serves as a role model for upcoming female football players.

4. Lieke Martens

The Dutch player is often called the 'Messi of women's football'

Graced with The Best FIFA Women's Player of the Year in 2017, Lieke Martens is a Dutch football player and plays for FC Barcelona as a midfielder. The 25-year-old started her senior career at SC Heerenveen in the 2009-2010 season of the Dutch women's Eredivisie.

Martens had a very successful year in 2017 where she was also adjudged UEFA Women's Player of the Year, Player of the Tournament at the UEFA Women's Euro 2017 and also featured in the Team of the Tournament for the same competition. She is widely pegged as one of the best European female footballers and many experts believe her best years are ahead of her.

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3. Alex Morgan

The World Cup winner has scored 97 goals for her national team

One of the most popular female footballers today, Alex Morgan became the first female player alongside Christian Sinclar and Steph Catley to appear on the cover of FIFA 16 video game. She was an integral part of a United States team that won the gold medal at the London Olympics in 2012, and also won the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2015.

The 29-year-old has over 151 appearances for the national team with 97 goals; a prolific striker in every sense. With over 5.3 million followers on Instagram, Alex is by far the most recognised face in the world of women's football. She will definitely play a central role in the upcoming Women's World Cup in 2019 when United States take the field as defending champions.

2. Ada Hegerberg

The 23-year-old has scored 107 goals for Lyon

The Norwegian plays as a striker for the French outfit, Olympic Lyonnais. The 23-year-old has scored 107 goals in nearly 82 games since she joined Lyon back in 2014; unbelievable numbers for a striker so young. She is already a well-known figure in the world of women's football and is definitely one of the best players in the world at the moment.

Olympic Lyonnais is a giant in the women's football scene. Owing to Hegerberg's clinical performances, Lyon secured their tenth consecutive domestic league title, Coupe de France and the UEFA Women's Champions League to complete the treble. Interestingly, Ada set a new competition record of 15 goals in one UWCL edition, and was also named in the squad of the tournament in the process.

1. Marta Vieira da Silva

Marta has 133 caps for Brazil, and has scored 110 goals for her national side

Commonly referred to as only Marta, the forward is a living legend in the world of women's football. She is widely considered to be the greatest female football player to ever grace the field. She is a dominant force on the ground and loves to dominate opposition defenders with her electrifying pace and clinical finishing. She is currently playing for the Orlando Pride in the National Women Soccer League in the USA.

Marta has 133 caps for the Brazil National Football Team in which she has scored 110 goals. The legendary Pelé himself hailed the 32-year-old as "Pelé in skirts".

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Marta is a five-time FIFA World Player of the Year award recipient and was most recently given the honor of The Best FIFA Women's Player in 2018.

That concludes a star-studded list of top-five players in women's football. Make no mistake, there are many other countless top talented female players who are setting new standards in women's football and taking it to new heights.