cover photo belongs to Jim Brown/USA Today Sports
After a month of research and hundreds of videos, the first ever Top 100 list for the women's international game is finished. Let me preface this by saying this is the first list I've ever done like this and I'm sure there is more than one error. I've tried to be thorough but after 500+ goalkeepers, things are going to slip through the cracks. If you see an inaccuracy (typo, wrongly listed club or nation, etc), please let me know. Similarly, if there's a goalkeeper missing - or one too high/low - don't be shy on sharing your opinion. There aren't any resources to reference my list against so I really only have my own opinion on the matter. (Contact at the bottom of the page.)
The biggest hurdle in compiling the list was being dependent on the respective league's media presence. The more established leagues (notably the NWSL, Bundesliga, and Damallsvenskan) were very easy to find highlights and information for. Other goalkeepers, Hong Myong-Hu, for example, are almost exclusively limited to international appearances as far as getting to watch them play. If there is a good goalkeeper that doesn't start for their nation and plays in a league with zero press releases, then it's hard to rate them.
My main references were SoccerWay and FIFA records, then surfing around until I found video of the goalkeeper. National team appearances, youth national teams (U17-U20 teams), club performances for both their domestic league and, when possible, Champions League were all taken into account.
The top fifty include little blurbs and there are some stats at the bottom, sorting goalkeepers by nationality and the league they play in.
Top 100 International Goalkeepers
rank. goalkeeper, nationality (club / league) - age
1. Alyssa Naeher, USA (Chicago Red Stars / USA.1) - 28
2. Gaëlle Thalmann, Switzerland (Fiorentina / Italy.1) - 29
3. Almuth Schult, Germany (Wolfsburg / Germany.1) - 25
4. Méline Gérard, France (Lyon / France.1) - 26
5. Erin McLeod, Canada (Rosengard / Sweden.1) - 33
6. Ashlyn Harris, USA (Orlando Pride / USA.1) - 30
7. Kateryna Samson, Ukraine (Ryazan / Russia.1) - 27
8. Kristina Kober, Germany (SC Sand / Germany.1) - 26
9. Kathrin Längert, Germany (USV Jena / Germany.1) - 28
10. Hong Myong-hui, North Korea (April 25 Sports Club / North Korea.1) - 24
I've bounced around on the top American goalkeeper for some time and Naeher has entered the 2016 season with Chicago on top of her game. As Hope Solo starts phasing out with the USWNT, fans will be glad to have Naeher in net. Another understudy on the list is Lyon goalkeeper, Méline Gérard. Typically sitting behind Bouhaddi for France's national team, Gérard has guided Lyon to this year's Champions League final (May 26th vs. Wolfsburg). While a little brash at times, Thalmann did very well at the World Cup last summer. Germany are running with Almuth Schult after Nadine Angerer's retirement but they're not short on goalkeepers with Kober and Längert in the ranks. Canada will miss Erin McLeod at this year's Olympics and North Korea has Myong-hui to thank for winning the 2015 EAFF Women's East Asian Cup.
11. Karen Bardsley, England (Manchester City / England.1) - 31
12. Laëtitia Philippe, France (Montpellier / France.1) - 25
13. Katie Fraine, USA (Vittsjö GIK / Sweden.1) - 28
14. Hope Solo, USA (Seattle Reign / USA.1) - 34
15. Dang Thi Kieu Trinh, Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City / Vietnam.1) - 30
16. Brittany Cameron, USA (Vegalta Sendai / Japan.1) - 29
17. Adrianna Franch, USA (Portland Thorns FC / USA.1) - 25
18. Sofie Van Houtven, Belgium (OH Leuven / Belgium.1) - 28
19. Stephanie Labbé, Canada (Washington Spirit / USA.1) - 29
20. Desiree Schumann, Germany (FFC Frankfurt / Germany.1) - 26
Probably the most surprising name on the list is Vietnam's Dang Thi Kieu Trinh. Don't make the mistake of rating her off of Vietnam's 35th FIFA ranking. (Watch the goalkeeper here.) Stephanie Labbé will be filling in for Erin McLeod this summer and will likely be in net for the next three-four years if McLeod can't return to 100%. 2015 IFFHS award winner Hope Solo remains in the top twenty while English international Karen Bardsley fills in at 11th. There aren't many videos on Japan's league to watch but they were fortunate to snag a goalkeeper of Brittany Cameron's quality.
21. Loes Geurts, Netherlands (Goteborg / Sweden.1) - 30
22. Sarah Bouhaddi, France (Lyon / France.1) - 29
23. Karima Benameur, France (Juvisy / France.1) - 27
24. Anke Preuss, Germany (FFC Frankfurt / Germany.1) - 23
25. Wang Fei, China (Lyon / France.1) - 26
26. Neide Simões, Portugal (SC 07 Bad Neuenahr / Germany.2) - 27
27. Michele Dalton, USA (Chicago Red Stars / USA.1) - 28
28. Haley Kopmeyer, USA (Seattle Reign / USA.1) - 25
29. Lisa Schmitz, Germany (Turbine Potsdam / Germany.1) - 24
30. Julia Grichenko, Russia (Kubanochka / Russia.1) - 26
Several international starters fill out 21-30: Guerts (Netherlands), Bouhaddi (France), Wang Fei (China), and Simões (Portugal). Haley Kopmeyer waits in the wing under Hope Solo at Seattle but don't be surprised to see the switch over the next year or two. Turbine Potsdam have trusted youngster Lisa Schmitz to start in goal and she hasn't disappointed, conceding just a goal a game with the club this season.
31. Ainhoa Tirapu, Spain (Athletic Bilbao / Spain.1) - 31
32. Lisa Weiss, Germany (SGS Essen / Germany.1) - 28
33. Stephanie Ohrstrom, Sweden (Verona / Italy.1) - 29
34. Melissa Barbieri, Australia (Melbourne / Australia.1) - 36
35. Tinja-Riikka Korpela, Finland (Bayern München / Germany.1) - 30
36. Laura Benkarth, Germany (SC Freiburg / Germany.1) - 23
37. Lydia Williams, Australia (Houston Dash / USA.1) - 28
38. Alessia Gritti, Italy (Mozzanica / Italy.1) - 29
39. Bianca Henninger, Mexico (Houston Dash / USA.1) - 25
40. Iryna Sanina, Ukraine (Zhytlobud-1 / Ukraine.1) - 30
Germany's premier club, Bayern Munich, have limited opponents to seven goals in twenty games this season and Finnish international Tinja-Riikka Korpela has been a big reason why. Melissa Barbieri has been capped for the Australian national team 86 times and went to her fourth World Cup in 2015, where Lydia Williams started for the Aussies. Laura Benkarth was the 2012 U20 World Cup Golden Glove winner and has been Freiburg's starter since. Bianca Henninger has most recently switched to Mexico over the US and could be a possible thorn in the US's side for next qualifying cycles.
41. Stina Lykke Petersen, Denmark (Odense Boldklub / Denmark.1) - 30
42. Cecilie Kramer, Denmark (Vittsjo GIK / Sweden.1) - 29
43. Carly Telford, England (Notts County / England.1) - 28
44. Libby Stout, USA (Boston Breakers / USA.1) - 25
45. Stenia Michel, Switzerland (USV Jena / Germany.1) - 28
46. Kelsey Wys, USA (Washington Spirit / USA.1) - 25
47. Margarita Shirokova, Russia (Zorkiy / Russia.1) - 25
48. Mairav Shamir, Israel (MSV Duisburg / Germany.2) - 28
49. Michelle Betos, USA (Portland Thorns FC / USA.1) - 28
50. Sandra Sepulveda, Colombia (Formas Intimas / Colombia.1) - 28
A couple poor results kept Denmark and Stina Lykke Petersen from making a run to the World Cup, including a 1-0 loss to Mairav Shamir's Israel. Libby Stout returns to the US after starting for Liverpool and I'd be off-base to say she wasn't playing better in England than in the states. Perhaps she bumps back up the list but for now she's still in the top 50. Margarita Shirokova reached the knockout stage with Zorkiy in the UEFA Champions Legue, including starting in a 2-0 win over Atletico Madrid.
51. Elvira Todua, Russia (Rossiyanka / Russia.1) - 30
52. Mimma Fazio, Italy (Bari / Italy.1) - 35
53. Elena Kochneva, Russia (Zvezda Perm / Russia.1) - 26
54. Paula Myllyoja, Finland (Honka / Finland.1) - 32
55. Brett Maron, USA (Kristianstad / Sweden.1) - 29
56. Anne-Kathrine Kremer, Germany (FFC Frankfurt / Germany.1) - 28
57. Meike Kämper, Germany (Duisburg / Germany.2) - 22
58. Katrine Abel, Denmark (Brondby / Denmark.1) - 25
59. Aubrey Bledsoe, USA (Orlando Pride / USA.1) - 24
60. Erin Nayler, New Zealand (Sky Blue FC / USA.1) - 24
61. Nicole Barnhart, USA (FC Kansas City / USA.1) - 34
62. Griseldis Meissner, Germany (FFV Leipzig / Germany.2) - 32
63. Kimika Forbes, Trinidad and Tobago (Unknown / Unknown) - 25
64. Hedvig Lindahl, Sweden (Chelsea / England.1) - 33
65. Emmeline Mainguy, France (Guingamp / France.1) - 27
66. Ashley Thompson, USA (Sandviken / Norway.1) - 30
67. Lena Nuding, Germany (FC Koln / Germany.1) - 23
68. Rachael Laws, England (Sunderland / England.1) - 25
69. Iryna Zvarych, Ukraine (Zvezda Perm / Russia.1) - 33
70. Fabienne Weber, Germany (Bayern Munchen / Germany.1) - 24
71. Céline Deville, France (Juvisy / France.1) - 34
72. Adelaide Gay, USA (Kvarnsveden / Sweden.1) - 26
73. Rebecca Spencer, England (Chelsea / England.1) - 25
74. Miho Fukumoto, Japan (Okayama Yunogo Belle / Japan.1) - 32
75. Ingrid Hjelsmeth, Norway (Stabaek / Norway.1) - 36
76. Amandine Guerin, France (Soyaux / France.1) - 23
77. Siiri Välimaa, Finland (Kolbotn / Norway.1) - 26
77. Sari van Veenendaal, Netherlands (Arsenal / England.1) - 26
79. Friederike Abt, Germany (Hoffenheim / Germany.1) - 21
80. Pauline Magnin, France (Saint-Etienne / France.1) - 24
81. Kim Jung-mi, South Korea (Incheon Hyundai Steel / South Korea.1) - 31
82. Jun Min-kyung, South Korea (Daekyo Kangaroos / South Korea.1) - 31
83. Chiara Marchitelli, Italy (Brescia / Italy.1) - 31
84. Carola Söberg, Sweden (KIF Orebro / Sweden.1) - 33
85. Jennifer Oehrli, Switzerland (BSC YB Frauen / Switzerland.1) - 27
85. Jeannette Williams, USA (Fimleikafélag Hafnarfjarðar / Iceland.1) - 27
87. Hanit Schwarz, Israel (F.C. Ramat HaSharon / Israel.1) - 28
88. Giulia Reginato, Italy (Vittorio Veneto / Italy.1) - 24
89. Pamela Tajonar, Mexico (Sevilla FC / Mexico.1) - 31
90. Sabrina D'Angelo, Canada (Western New York Flash / USA.1) - 23
91. Katarzyna Kiedrzynek, Poland (PSG / France.1) - 25
92. Minna Meriluoto, Finland (HJK Helsinki / Finland.1) - 30
92. Shannon Lynn, Scotland (Vittsjo GIK / Sweden.1) - 30
94. Emma Byrne, Ireland (Arsenal / England.1) - 36
95. Siobhan Chamberlain, England (Liverpool / England.1) - 32
96. Ann-Katrin Berger, Germany (PSG / France.1) - 25
97. Sofia Lundgren, Sweden (Rosengard / Sweden.1) - 33
98. Alexa Gaul, USA (SC Sand / Germany.1) - 25
99. Almina Hodzic, Bosnia and Herzegovina (SFK 2000 / Bosnia and Herzegovina.1) - 27
100. Erina Yamane, Japan (JEF United Ichihara Chiba / Japan.1) - 25
Sorted by Nationality
nation - count (FIFA rank)
1. USA - 18 (1)
2. Germany - 15 (2)
3. France - 8 (3)
4. England - 5 (4)
5. Finland - 4 (27)
5. Italy - 4 (14)
5. Russia - 4 (22)
5. Sweden - 4 (6)
9. Canada - 3 (10)
9. Denmark - 3 (18)
9. Switzerland - 3 (19)
9. Ukraine - 3 (23)
13. Australia- 2 (5)
13. Israel - 2 (55)
13. Japan - 2 (7)
13. Mexico - 2 (26)
13. Netherlands - 2 (13)
13. South Korea - 2 (17)
19. Belgium - 1 (28)
19. Bosnia and Herzegovina - 1 (62)
19. China - 1 (12)
19. Colombia - 1 (24)
19. Ireland - 1 (33)
19. New Zealand - 1 (16)
19. North Korea - 1 (9)
19. Norway - 1 (11)
19. Poland - 1 (29)
19. Portugal - 1 (41)
19. Scotland - 1 (21)
19. Spain - 1 (15)
19. Trinidad and Tobago - 1 (47)
19. Vietnam - 1 (35)
Sorted by League
(minimum of three)
1. USA.1 - 16
2. Germany.1 - 15
3. France.1 - 11
4. England.1 - 8
4. Sweden.1 - 8
6. Italy.1 - 6
6. Russia.1 - 6
7. Germany.2 - 4
8. Japan.1 - 3
8. Norway.1 - 3