10 Best Players of French Soccer Women Team

10 Best Players of French Soccer Women Team

Everyone has heard of Alex Morgan and Tobin Heath – but what about their competition? The French women’s national team is exploding with talent – both in the past decades and in recent years. Let’s check out the best players of the French women’s soccer team…

10. Sandrine Soubeyrand

Sandrine Soubeyrand – By Kidsneexdoor / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

Sandrine is a former French footballer and present-day coach of the France women’s U-17 national team. During her prolific career, she played as a midfielder for the French national team, FC Felines Saint-Cyr, Caluire SC, and Juvisy.

Her professional career began at FC Felines, her childhood club, and eventually continued to Caluire. Her big move and breakthrough, however, would come with her move to Juvisy, a National 1A club in Essonne. She immediately helped the club finish in 3rd place and in 2nd place during her inaugural two seasons, while also making her European debut at the UEFA Women’s Cup in 2003.

For the French national team, she was called up back in April of 1997 and stayed a staple player on the team, achieving the nation’s most capped football player in 2009 with 143 caps.

9. Camille Abily

Camille Abily – By Liondartois / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

Camille is a former French footballer who played for Lyon in Division 1 Feminine in France and the French national team. Primarily an attacking midfielder with the propensity to score goals and provide assists, Camille was awarded the National Union of Professional Footballers Female Player of the Year – twice.

Having played for numerous club teams throughout her career from 2000-2018, she played the most matches for Olympique Lyonnais, where she made 222 appearances and scored 144 goals. Fro the French national team, she was first called up in 2001 and continued to be on the team for the following 16 years, making 183 appearances.

8. Laura Georges

Laura Georges in 2011 – By The original uploader was Thewomensgame at English Wikipedia. / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

Laura is a current French footballer who plays for Bayern Munich in Germany and the French national team since 2001, having amassed 188 appearances. She began her professional career in 2003 after signing for the infamous Paris Saint-Germain, followed by a 6-year stint at Olympique Lyon, 4 years back at PSG, and then finally moving to Bayern in 2018.

Having earned her first cap at age 17 for the French national team, she was an early talent that has continued to be a key player for the squad.

7. Sonia Bompastor

Sonia Bompastor – By Mobilus In Mobili / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)

Sonia is a former French footballer who played for Montpellier, Lyon, Washington Freedom in the USA, Paris Saint-Germain, and Lyon. She was a staple team member of the French national team, having earned her first call up in 2000 and staying on the squad until 2013, earning 158 caps and scoring 18 goals.

She was a member of the squad that participated in the 2001, 2005, and 2009 UEFA Women’s Championship tournaments, along with the team rostered for the 2003 and 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

6. Louisa Cadamuro

Louisa Necib Cadamuro – By By Pierre-Yves Beaudouin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29743546

Louisa is a former French professional footballer who spent the majority of her career at Lyon, earning173 appearances and scoring 64 goals. She debuted for the French national team in 2005 and stayed on the team for 11 years, making 145 appearances and scoring 36 goals.

Known for her possession-style soccer, excellent passing abilities, and technical ability on the ball, Louisa was a talented and prolific attacking midfielder who was used to making big-time plays.

5. Sarah Bouhaddi

Sarah Bouhaddi – By Ailura, CC BY-SA 3.0 AT / CC BY-SA 3.0 AT (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/at/deed.en)

Sarah is a current French footballer who plays for Lyon in Division 1 Feminine and a goalkeeper of the French national team. Playing the majority of her career for Lyon, she has also been a member of CNFE Clairefontaine, Toulouse, and Juvisy since her pro career began in 2003.

First being in the squad for the national team in 2004, she has made 149 appearances, helping the team to win the SheBelieves Cup in 2017.

4.  Valerie Gauvin

PSG Toulouse – By Pierre-Yves Beaudouin / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

Valerie is a French footballer who plays for Everton in the FA Women’s Super League, the highest professional league in England, and the French national team. First called up to the national team in 2015, Valerie is a young talent who has already made 30 appearances for her country.

Making 90 appearances for her old club team Montpellier, she made the move to the English league in 2020 and is hoping to become a starter for the club.

3. Amandine Henry

Amandine Henry – By By DOMINIQUE MALLEN – Flickr: OL-MHSC amandine4 P1090311, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=66387013

When you think of French women’s football, many people automatically think of Amandine Henry. A French football player who plays for Olympique Lyon and the French national team, Henry has long been a staple on the national team, having amassed 92 appearances since 2009.

Amandine started her professional career in 2004, signing for Henin Beaumont at just age 15. After three seasons, she joined Lyon – the most successful club team in her country. She made 122 appearances for Lyon before deciding to move to the US to play for the Portland Thorns, where she made 33 appearances in one year.

Since 2018, Henry has moved back to Olympique Lyon where she has spent the majority of her pro career, earning 40 appearances and scoring 11 goals in the past 3 seasons.

2. Gaetane Thiney

Gaetane Thiney – By Ailura, CC BY-SA 3.0 AT / CC BY-SA 3.0 AT (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/at/deed.en)

Gaetane Iza Laure Thiney is a French football player who plays for Paris FC in Division 1 Feminine and the French national team. Often used as a midfielder, Thiney is also successful as a striker, scoring 134 goals in just 210 appearances for Paris FC.

Thiney’s professional career began back in 2000 when she spent 6 years playing for Olympique Saint-Memmie, scoring 19 goals in 102 games. After a three year stint in US Compiegne Oise, Thiney moved to Paris FC in 2008 – and she has stayed ever since.

While Thiney was rostered for US Compiegne, she received her first call up for the French national team. Her stats for her country’s team are exceptional, with Thiney making 163 appearances and scoring 58 goals since 2007.

1. Wendie Renard

Wendie Renard in 2011 – By By The original uploader was Thewomensgame at English Wikipedia. – Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by Kafuffle using CommonsHelper., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15825078

The captain of the French national team and the Division 1 Feminine club Olympique Lyonnais, Renard is the epitome of French football. Unlike many other players in the world today and on this list, Renard has spent her entire professional career at one club and one club only – Lyon.

Since 2006, Renard has played for Lyon, earning 213 appearances and scoring 66 goals in the process – as a defender. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, she has made 120 appearances for the French national team since 2011 and scored 23 goals, oftentimes in important games that have helped her team move to the next round.

Having won a record 14 French League titles and seven European Cups, Renard is possibly the most prolific and decorated French footballer to ever exist.

There you have it! The 10 best players, past and present, of the French women’s national soccer team. Au Revoir!