FIFPRO dropped its 2025 Women's World XI shortlist on Monday, with the worldwide organization representing pro footballers taking heat for snubbing more than a few standout athletes.
The 26-player lineup featured zero USWNT players, continuing a two-year streak of the award omitting US athletes, despite the USWNT winning Olympic gold at the 2024 Paris Games.d
Reigning Champions League winner and 2025 Euro runner-up Mariona Caldentey also failed to make the cut — a significant snub considering the Arsenal and Spain attacker came in second in at the 2025 Ballon d'Or last month.
Notably, soccer players exclusively vote for the FIFPRO World XI — the only global football award to do so — with this year's nominations ruled by the Euro-winning Lionesses, who snagged 11 overall nods.
Spain saw the second-most nominations — including reigning three-time Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmatí — while goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger (Gotham/Germany), right back Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash/Nigeria), attacker Debinha (Kansas City Current/Brazil), striker Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride/Zambia), and forward Marta (Orlando Pride/Brazil) repped the NWSL.
The final Best XI roster will drop on Monday.
Full 2025 FIFPRO Women's World XI shortlist
Goalkeepers: Ann-Katrin Berger (Gotham/Germany), Mary Earps (PSG/England), Hannah Hampton (Chelsea/England)
Defenders: Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash/Nigeria), Ona Batlle (Barcelona/Spain), Millie Bright (Chelsea/England), Lucy Bronze (Chelsea/England), Olga Carmona (PSG/Spain), Ellie Carpenter (Chelsea/Australia), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City/England), Leah Williamson (Arsenal/England)
Midfielders: Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona/Spain), Ghizlane Chebbak (Al Hilal/Morocco), Debinha (Kansas City Current/Brazil), Patri Guijarro (Barcelona/Spain), Vicky López (Barcelona/Spain), Alexia Putellas (Barcelona/Spain), Ella Toone (Manchester United/England), Keira Walsh (Chelsea/England)
Forwards: Michelle Agyemang (Arsenal/Brighton/England), Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride/Zambia), Linda Caicedo (Real Madrid/Colombia), Athenea del Castillo (Real Madrid/Spain), Chloe Kelly (Arsenal/England), Marta (Orlando Pride/Brazil), Alessia Russo (Arsenal/England)
Brazil officially rained on the homecoming parade of back-to-back Euro winners England on Saturday, when the 2025 Copa América Femenina champions humbled the Lionesses 2-1 in their friendly matchup — despite competing shorthanded for nearly 70 minutes.
World No. 7 Brazil took an early lead behind first-half strikes from forward Bia Zaneratto and attacker Dudinha, before midfielder Angelina received a straight red card for a foul against the Lionesses' Ella Toone in the 21st minute.
No. 4 England did manage a few clear-cut chances, grabbing a goal back from Brazil early in the second half via a sharply shot penalty from attacking midfielder Georgia Stanway, though the effort was not enough to overcome the South American titans.
With two years until the Brazil-hosted 2027 World Cup, both top-ranked teams will look to learn from the weekend result.
"We start slow and we make these mistakes," said England manager Sarina Wiegman. "If I knew why, I would have solved it straight away."
"After the red card there was resilience and maximum effort," said Brazil head coach Arthur Elias. "You have to have that in this national team: spirit and dedication."
How to watch England in action this week
The No. 4 Lionesses' homecoming series continues with a Tuesday friendly against No. 15 Australia at Derby's Pride Park Stadium.
The match kicks off at 7 PM ET, with live coverage airing on Paramount+.
This weekend's slate of international soccer features more than one blockbuster matchup, as some of the summer's top performers, including England and Brazil, begin the long process of preparing for the 2027 World Cup.
Reigning UEFA Women's Euro champions England will be hosting 2025 Copa América Femenina winners Brazil at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on Saturday, when the Lionesses officially kick off their four-game Homecoming Series to close out 2025 play.
The match between world No. 4 England and No. 7 Brazil will serve as the first of the series of friendlies that will span the final two international breaks of the year, with the Lionesses closing out the opening pair of games against No. 15 Australia on Tuesday.
Elsewhere, while England fans will be enjoying the team's victory lap after their second-straight Euro title, other top UEFA competition are honing in on 2025 Nations League play.
Behind a long-range goal from winger Klara Bühl, No. 5 Germany snagged a narrow 1-0 victory over No. 6 France on Friday morning, taking the lead in the pair's two-leg semifinal.
The second Nations League semifinal round kicks off at 2 PM ET on Friday, when No. 1 Spain faces No. 3 Sweden live on Prime.
How to watch England vs. Brazil this weekend
England takes on Brazil at 12:30 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage streaming on Prime.
As the penultimate international window of 2025 kicks off next week, several global soccer stars are announcing their impending retirements, hanging up their national team boots as global attention turns toward next year's 2027 World Cup qualifiers.
Headlining the list of exiting stars is Wales' all-time top scorer and longtime Seattle Reign midfielder Jess Fishlock, who will suit up for the world No. 32 Dragons one last time against No. 15 Australia next week, ending a 19-year international career.
The 38-year-old notched 48 goals in her 165 caps for her national team, including scoring Wales' first-ever goal in a major tournament during last summer's 2025 Euro tournament.
"The Euros was the pinnacle of my football career, seeing the dragon on the world stage for the first time will be a memory that will stay with me for a lifetime," Fishlock posted in her Wednesday announcement. "Every minute was a pleasure, a privilege, and an honour."
Also stepping away from international duty is 2022 Euro champion and Chelsea FC defender Millie Bright, retiring from No. 4 England's backline on Monday after previously removing herself from consideration for the Lionesses' successful Euro title defense earlier this year.
Other notable international soccer retirements this week include No. 27 Ireland defender Megan Campbell, No. 6 France midfielder Sandie Toletti and winger Amel Majri, and No. 11 Netherlands midfielder Sherida Spitse and striker Renate Jansen.
The USWNT announced their 2025 season finale on Monday, setting a pair of friendlies against Italy at Orlando's Inter & Co Stadium on November 28th and Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on December 1st.
Facing the now-world No. 2 US for the first time in 15 years, Italy's recent run to the 2025 Euro semifinals shot them to No. 12 in the FIFA rankings.
"As we prepare for World Cup qualifying at the end of 2026, we want to play teams from all parts of the world with different styles and different strengths, so getting to play Italy, one of Europe's up-and-coming teams, will be a great way to end the year," said USWNT head coach Emma Hayes in a statement announcing the friendlies.
After an extended break following a series of early July matchups, the US now has five matches left on the books, with the year-ending Italy matches rounding out three already-announced October friendlies.
The USWNT kicks off next month's lineup with two matches against Euro 2025 participant No. 23 Portugal, followed by a third friendly against No. 33 New Zealand.
As Hayes's year of roster evaluation comes to a close, expect stakes to rise as the 2027 World Cup comes into sharper view.
How to purchase tickets to the final 2025 USWNT friendlies
Though a myriad of presale opportunities are available throughout this week, tickets to both the November 28th match in Orlando and the December 1st friendly in Fort Lauderdale will go on sale to the general public on Friday.
Tickets will drop at 10 AM ET online.
Just days after Spain rose to world No. 1 in the most recent FIFA rankings, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) announced on Monday that head coach Montse Tomé will not see her contract renewed when it expires at the end of August.
"The Board of Directors of the Royal Spanish Football Federation would like to express its gratitude for Montse Tomé's work, professionalism, and dedication in her various roles during her time as a member of the national teams at the RFEF, particularly during her time as senior national team coach," the governing body said in a statement.
Tomé — Spain's first-ever women head coach — took over La Roja in September 2023 following the removal of former manager Jorge Vilda, with both Vilda and then-federation boss Luis Rubiales exiting amid a highly public toxicity scandal.
During her almost two-year tenure at the helm, the 43-year-old led her former national team to the 2024 UEFA Nations League title, but fell short at both the 2024 Olympics and the 2025 Euro.
Expected to win both major tournament titles, Spain exited the 2024 Paris Games in a semifinal upset to Brazil before finishing last month's European Championship as runners-up to repeat champions England.
While critics questioned some of her sideline decisions in those losses, Tomé also reportedly failed to fully earn the respect of the Spain locker room during her tenure — a hurdle that some contend was due in part to her prior role as Vilda's assistant.
The RFEF has tapped their U-23 manager, Sonia Bermúdez, to succeed Tomé.
Prior to her managerial career in Spain's youth program, the 40-year-old former national team captain and attacker scored 34 goals in her 61 appearances for La Roja.
Aiming to make a significant splash in their debut season in the top-flight WSL, the newly promoted London City Lionesses are gearing up by trying to bolster their roster with big names — including the club's newest target, Arsenal forward Beth Mead.
According to reports, London City owner Michele Kang has reportedly made a formal offer to acquire the longtime Arsenal star, who has suited up for the Gunners for the last eight years.
In her 225 appearances for the club, Mead has scored 78 goals en route to snagging Arsenal the 2018/19 WSL championship as well as a trio of League Cups.
Most recently, the 30-year-old attacker helped the Gunners shockingly upend powerhouse Barcelona to claim the 2024/25 Champions League crown — the WSL's first UWCL title in 18 years.
The WSL's all-time assists leader added another international trophy to her case just last month, as the England national booked a second straight Euro title to go along with her Golden Boot-winning tournament in 2022.
Regardless of the outcome, London City's offer makes a serious statement as the Lionesses ascend the ranks of women's football behind Kang's growing multi-team empire.
London City has already picked up players like Swedish legend Kosovare Asllani, Dutch midfielder Daniëlle Van de Donk, and former Manchester United forward Nikita Parris, signaling the Lionesses' intentions to keep rising ahead of their inaugural 2025/26 WSL campaign.
Fresh off her 2025 Euro win, England star goalkeeper Hannah Hampton revealed her penalty shootout secret that helped lift the Lionesses over Spain in last month's tournament final.
After Hampton spotted Spain goalkeeper Cata Coll's tactical notes written on her water bottle, she quietly picked it up and tossed it into the crowd.
"The Spanish keeper had it on her bottle," Hampton told England radio station talkSPORT on Friday. "So I thought when she was going in goal, I'll just pick it up and throw it into the English fans so she can't have it."
Hampton kept her own Euro penalty shootout notes wrapped around her forearm, explaining that "I never put it on a bottle because anyone can [throw it away]."
The 24-year-old's method proved useful in saving shots from Spanish stars Aitana Bonmatí and Mariona Caldentey, ultimately setting up teammate Chloe Kelly to bury the title-winning penalty.
"I was trying so hard not to burst out laughing [because] I was like 'Oh, I don't know where [Coll's water bottled] has gone,'" Hampton recalled. "But you have got to do something, haven't you?"
As for Coll, the Spanish keeper seemed to refute Hampton's story, posting two laughing emojis in response to the radio clip, as well as saying "Okay, okay, calm down. If only it were true..."
The 2025 Ballon d'Or nominations dropped on Thursday, and only two USWNT players earned nods on the 30-athlete shortlist for soccer's most prestigious individual honor.
US and Arsenal defender Emily Fox earned her first career nomination after the 27-year-old won 2024 Olympic gold with the USWNT and the 2024/25 UEFA Women's Champions League with her club side.
With her third career Ballon d'Or nod, USWNT captain Lindsey Heaps joined Fox on Thursday's 2025 list after leading the US in Paris last summer and playing another strong season with OL Lyonnes.
While the first half of 2025 has been admittedly quiet for USWNT without a major continental tournament on the docket this year — and many of the team's heavy hitters sidelined for various reasons — the Ballon d'Or's consideration timeframe includes their Olympic gold-medal run, making the team's lack of nods a bit head-scratching.
It's far from the first time that the award's shortlist has fallen short. Awarded by French magazine France Football, the Ballon d’Or has long been criticized for heavily favoring athletes who play in Europe. Of the 30 2025 nominees, only six play for clubs outside of Europe — five of them in the NWSL.
Notably, only one US player has ever won the Ballon d'Or, with the 2019 trophy lifted by USWNT icon Megan Rapinoe.
Since then, Barcelona FC have maintained a stranglehold on the award, with midfielder Aitana Bonmatí's two straight wins following attacker Alexia Putellas's back-to-back reign.
USWNT drop to No. 2 in world rankings
This week also saw the USWNT cede ground in the overall FIFA rankings, falling to world No. 2 as new No. 1 Spain claimed a narrow lead of less than two points with their 2025 Euro Final appearance.
Like the Ballon d'Or, Thursday's world ranks contained more than a few confusing shifts, with Brazil somehow falling three spots to No. 7 despite winning a fifth straight Copa América title last weekend, and England earning a mere one-spot rise to No. 4 after defeating Spain in last month's Euro.
The 2025 Ballon d'Or Féminin nominees
Sandy Baltimore (Chelsea, France)
Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride, Zambia)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona, Spain)
Lucy Bronze (Chelsea, England)
Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal, Spain)
Klara Bühl (Bayern Munich, Germany)
Sofia Cantore (Washington Spirit, Italy)
Steph Catley (Arsenal, Australia)
Melchie Dumornay (OL Lyonnes, Haiti)
Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City Current, Malawi)
Emily Fox (Arsenal, US)
Cristiana Girelli (Juventus, Italy)
Esther González (Gotham FC, Spain)
Caroline Graham Hansen (Barcelona, Norway)
Hannah Hampton (Chelsea, England)
Pernille Harder (Bayern Munich, Denmark)
Patri Guijarro (Barcelona, Spain)
Amanda Gutierres (Palmeiras, Brazil)
Lindsey Heaps (OL Lyonnes, US)
Chloe Kelly (Arsenal, England)
Frida Maanum (Arsenal, Norway)
Marta (Orlando Pride, Brazil)
Clara Mateo (Paris FC, France)
Ewa Pajor (Barcelona, Poland)
Clàudia Pina (Barcelona, Spain)
Alexia Putellas (Barcelona, Spain)
Alessia Russo (Arsenal, England)
Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (Chelsea, Sweden)
Caroline Weir (Real Madrid, Scotland)
Leah Williamson (Arsenal, England)
The NWSL is back in session beginning on Friday night, as 2025 season play returns with athletes shifting their focus from summer international tournaments back to the league's home stretch.
While WAFCON and Women's Euro participants are likely to be available this weekend, NWSL stars featuring in Saturday's Copa América final remain out of market.
The NWSL standings dominate this weekend's narrative, as No. 1 Kansas City towers over the league while lower-table teams embrace their shot at a reset after a month off the pitch:
- No. 7 Racing Louisville vs. No. 1 Kansas City Current, Friday at 8 PM ET (Prime): Though Racing currently sits in playoff position, they'll face a tough test when the high-flying Current storm through Louisville.
- No. 6 Seattle Reign vs. No. 11 Angel City, Friday at 10:30 PM ET (Paramount+): Reign fans will snag their first glimpse of new signee Mia Fishel on Friday, though Angel City will aim to ruin the welcome party as the LA club pushes toward playoff contention.
- No. 9 North Carolina Courage vs. No. 3 San Diego Wave, Saturday at 7:30 PM ET (ION): Courage forward Jaedyn Shaw takes on her former team as the Wave looks to keep the NWSL's surprise success story of the season going strong.
- No. 4 Washington Spirit vs. No. 5 Portland Thorns, Sunday at 12:30 PM ET (ABC): While Spirit fans cross their fingers for the return of injured stars Trinity Rodman and Croix Bethune, the Thorns will try to keep their steady momentum afloat in DC.