10 Best Canadian Women Football (Soccer) Players

10 Best Canadian Women Football (Soccer) Players

Women have demonstrated exceptional talent in recent years, and the world of sports has responded by allowing them to compete in all sports, particularly football. Canada is one of the nations that is proud to have produced one of the best female soccer players, who not only made a name for themselves in the game but also supported their nation in a number of international events. These outstanding athletes have consistently mesmerized the crowd and made a lasting impression on both domestic and international sports. They have assisted Canada in several FIFA World Cups thanks to their extraordinary talents, fervor, and tenacity. From July 19 to August 21, 2023, Canada will be one of the nations taking part in the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Since 1995, Canada has taken part in the FIFA Women’s World CupTM eight times in a row. Canada, which was placed in Group B, will take on Nigeria on July 21 in Melbourne, the Republic of Ireland on July 26 in Perth, and co-host Australia on July 31 in Melbourne. Great players will represent the nation. With all of that knowledge, we are eager to examine some of the top 10 women’s soccer players in Canada. While some players have already retired, others are still on the pitch. Let’s look at them:

1. Christine Margaret Sinclair

Simon Fraser University – University Communications, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The most capped Canadian women’s soccer player on our list is Sinclair. She is a forward and captain for the Canada Women’s National Team and Portland Thorns FC. With her 250th cap in 2016 and the top global goal-scoring record for any player, male or female, captain Christine Sinclair has been referred to as the “backbone” of the Canadian national team.

She received the female player of the Year award from Canada Soccer every year from 2004 to 2014 and has been a FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year nominee. 

Sinclair has won titles with three different professional teams: the 2013 and 2017 NWSL titles with Portland Thorns FC, the 2010 WPS Championship with FC Gold Pride, and the 2011 WPS Championship with Western New York Flash.  

In January 2022, Sinclair was awarded the Best FIFA Special Award, as the world’s all-time leading scorer. She is one of the top players that will likely compete in the upcoming World Cup from mid-July to mid-August 2023.

Read Greatest Canadian Athletes of All Time

2. Diana Matheson

Erica McCaulley, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The second athlete on our list is Diana Matheson, a legend who excels both intellectually and on the field. Diana Matheson’s 92nd-minute goal gave Canada the bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics, cementing her place in Canadian Olympic history.

Since Berlin 1936, it was the nation’s first Olympic medal in a conventional team summer sport. Four years later, Matheson was once more an important member of the Canadian team, participating in all six of their contests as they won their second consecutive bronze medal.

Matheson participated in her third Olympic Games after making her debut in Beijing in 2008. At Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, Matheson studied Economics and won the 2007 Ivy League Player of the Year and Princeton Women’s Player of the Year awards.

Matheson declared her retirement from soccer in July 2021. She was a crucial member of the team and will go down in history with the Women’s League and the entire national team.

3. Kadeisha Buchanan

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Center-back Keisha, as she is also known, competes for Olympique Lyonnais of France. The Toronto native has scored 113 goals in 113 games for Canada’s national team.

She was a member of the Women’s Olympic football squad that won a historic gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Three times, Buchanan has been recognized as Canada’s greatest female football player.

In addition, she was recognized as the best young player at the 2015 FIFA World Cup. In helping PSG defeat Barcelona’s female team to win the UEFA Women’s Champions League in 2022, Kadeisha Buchanan was instrumental. One of the top female football defenders in the world, the 26-year-old is. One of the prominent figures who will feature in the coming FIFA Women’s World Cup.

4. Jessie Fleming

Howcheng, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Fleming may only be 25, but for Canada, she already has a wealth of experience. In addition to a long list of collegiate honors, she has more than 50 caps, starts to her name, an Olympic bronze medal, and more.

Fleming, a box-to-box midfielder who is equally at ease playing as a more conventional number 10, directs the play and controls Canada’s offensive. Fleming displays maturity above her years in her playing. She has the ability to perceive the game at a higher level and create plays that the opposition does not anticipate.

The fact that Fleming manages Canada’s midfield is undeniable, even though she may still be deciding on her future at the club level. For the second year in a row, Jessie Fleming has been voted Canada Soccer’s player of the year. At the CONCACAF W Championship, where she assisted Canada in winning a silver medal, she was named to the team’s Best XI.

She and her colleague Julia Grosso shared the tournament scoring lead after scoring three goals, one of which was the game-winning goal against Jamaica in the semifinals. Additionally, she assisted Canada in securing a spot in Australia and New Zealand for the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

5. Janine  Beckie

Noah Salzman, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

It’s difficult to imagine a period when Beckie wasn’t a member of Team Canada.
Beckie has been one of Canada’s best offensive threats ever since she was left off the 2015 Women’s World Cup team and has scored more than 30 goals for her nation. Beckie, a dual citizen of Canada and the United States, possesses all the qualities you look for in a winger.

She is quick, a skilled playmaker, and deadly in front of the goal. In 2018, Beckie moved to Europe and joined Manchester City, one of the top women’s teams. As a regular starter this past season, Beckie has flourished at City. She has also demonstrated her versatility by switching to the right-back position, where she is still playing today.

Before joining Manchester City of the FA WSL, Beckie spent three seasons in the NWSL after turning professional in 2016. She scored eight goals in 15 games during her first year abroad in 2018–19, helping City win the FA Cup and League Cup. She won the FA Cup for the second consecutive season in 2019–20 and netted three goals in her debut Championships League appearance. One of the important players who will feature in the Women’s World Cup.

6. Ashley Lawrence

Granada, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Lawrence, who has represented Canada since she was 17, really made a name for herself at the 2015 Women’s World Cup when she scored her first international goal at the age of 20 in front of over 40,000 Canadian supporters. She has since slowly if subtly, ascended to celebrity.

Lawrence is the current Canadian Player of the Year for a reason, and her national team coach, Kenneth Heiner-Mller, has referred to her as “the best full-back in the world – by far.” Because she typically isn’t the one scoring goals, it may be simple to ignore Lawrence. Although she can outrun opponents thanks to her speed, there is much more to her success than that.

She is unparalleled in versatility. She can play right back or midfield with ease and always perform at the best level. Even at the young age of 24, she has already established herself as one of the team’s leaders thanks to her world-class decision-making, technical proficiency, and teammate-finding abilities. There is no doubt that Lawrence, who is an essential member of any starting lineup, especially at elite club PSG, will continue to be a vital component of Canada’s national team for years to come.

7. Desiree Scott

Noah Salzman, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Her moniker, The Destroyer, speaks for itself. In Canada’s midfield, Scott has long been a dominant physical force. She exemplifies the defensive midfielder role by settling in front of the defense, disrupting plays, and halting the opponent’s attack before it can get going.

Although her involvement is understated and frequently goes unrecognized, Canada’s success frequently depends on her bravery and ferocious competitiveness. Not to be underestimated is her leadership. She is the perfect colleague, and her enthusiasm is contagious. She was included in the squad for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup on May 25, 2019.

At her alma mater, the University of Manitoba, Scott serves as an assistant coach. Since 2014, Scott has served as an ambassador for the Homeless World Cup. She also manages an annual soccer camp for girls on behalf of KidSport Winnipeg, a nonprofit organization that works to remove financial obstacles to participating in sports.

8. Stephanie Labbé

Agência Brasil Fotografias, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Since she assisted in leading her nation to a second consecutive Olympic bronze medal in 2016, Labbé has become Canada’s top goalkeeper. 

Stephanie has surmounted obstacles throughout her career, and her determination is evident on the field after years spent as Canada’s third-string keeper on the depth chart.

She has acknowledged that she performs best under duress. The North Carolina Courage’s 2019 NWSL Shield and Championship were won by Labbé, who is a composed presence on the backline and a player who is assured in her skills.

Throughout her international career, Labbé racked up 85 caps and 44 shutouts. She has competed in three FIFA Women’s World Cups and earned bronze in the Rio Olympics 2016. Labbé came in behind Christiane Endler in the voting for FIFA’s Best Goalkeeper award. She will be regarded as one of Canada’s most remarkable players.

9. Kara Lang

Curt Gibbs from Long Beach, California, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

As a soccer player with the Vancouver Whitecaps Women and as a sports analyst, Kara Elise Lang has represented Canada at two FIFA World Cups and Olympic Games.

She was selected for the Canada National Women’s Team at the youngest age of 15, and on March 1, 2002, she made her national team debut at the Algarve Cup in Portugal. Due to recurrent knee and ACL issues, Lang announced his retirement on January 5, 2011, at the age of 24.

When Lang suffered a third ACL injury in February 2014, her comeback was all but over. Her goal had been to help Canada at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. In November 2015, she received a player’s induction into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame.

10. Jordyn Huitema

Douglas O’Brien from Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

One of the young players who has made a name for herself as a vital player that clubs and national teams desire is Jordyn. On March 8, 2017, she made her Canadian debut at the age of 15. She became the first player to score for Canada’s “A,” “U-20,” and “U-17 teams all in the same year when she scored her first international “A” goal for Canada on June 11, 2017, in Toronto.

She also won a silver medal with Canada at the 2018 Concacaf Women’s Championship in the USA (qualifying them for France 2019). Jordyn won a silver medal with Canada in the 2020 Concacaf Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship, helping Canada qualify for Tokyo 2020, and she represented Canada at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France.

She won a silver medal with her country at the 2020 Concacaf Women’s Olympic Qualification Championship (Canada qualified for Tokyo 2020), won an Olympic gold medal with her country at the Tokyo 2020 Women’s Olympic Football Tournament in 2021, and won a silver medal with her country at the 2022 Concacaf Women’s Championship in Mexico (Canada qualified for Australia & New Zealand 2023). Jordyn will feature in FIFA Women’s World Cup taking place from July to August.

Read Best Female Soccer Players of All Time

Generally, following the outstanding achievements of their national teams, particularly the senior female national team, there has recently been a significant surge in the Canadian football scene.

Canadian women’s soccer players’ remarkable achievements have raised the nation’s profile and contributed to recent success. Because the North American nation has produced so many outstanding female footballers, Canada’s women soccer players have always been a force to be reckoned with in women’s football.