Katie McCabe named in ESPN 2023 World's 50 best soccer players         

ANOTHER ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Ireland captain Katie McCabe is named twenty fourth on the list after a fantastic year for both club and country.

EPSN FC Women's Rank have named their top 50 women footballers in the world. It is the third edition of their rankings having started in 2021.

In a year where women's football grew in leaps this year and the talent pool deeper than ever, picking a top 50 players was no easy task.

ESPN FC Women's Rank polled 32 women's soccer experts from around the world. Current and former coaches for top-tier club teams or national teams, general managers, administrators, players and journalists were asked to anonymously pick their top 50 players from 2023. A ranked ballot is used with each number one vote worth 50 points and each number 50 vote worth one point. The points are tallied to get their list.

The list covers the 2023 calendar year with injuries looming large over the list.

Ireland captain Katie McCabe is named twenty fourth on the list after a fantastic year for both club and country. McCabe was recognised for her efforts with a nomination for the Women's Ballon d'Or, first for an Irish woman and was named the PFAI International Women's Players of the Year for 2023.

McCabe scored Ireland's first ever goal at a World Cup which came from a corner, the first of many memorable goals from 2023.

Spain's Aitana Bonmatì was ranked number one on the list. It was almost a universal agreement that the Barcelona midfielder was recognised as the best player in the world for 2023.

The ESPN FC Women's Rank Top 50 best players of 2023

1. Aitana Bonmatì - Barcelona and Spain

2. Sam Kerr - Chelsea and Australia

3. Mary Earps - Manchester United and England

4. Linda Caicedo - Real Madrid and Colombia

5. Salma Paralluelo - Barcelona and Spain

6. Alexandra Popp - Wolfsburg and Germany

7. Fridolina Rolfo - Barcelona and Sweden

8. Mapi Leòn - Barcelona and Spain

9. Jenni Hermoso - Pachuca and Spain

10. Olga Carmona - Real Madrid and Spain

11. Lauren James - Chelsea and England

12. Kadidiatou Diani - Lyon and France

13. Sophia Smith - Portland Thorns and USA

14. Lena Oberdorf - Wolfsburg and Germany

15. Caroline Graham Hansen - Barcelona and Norway

16. Patri Guijarro - Barcelona and Spain

17. Keira Walsh - Barcelona and Spain

18. Millie Bright - Chelsea and England

19. Caitlin Foord - Arsenal and Australia

20. Rachel Daly - Aston Villa and England

21. Naomi Girma - San Diego Wave and USA

22. Lauren Hemp - Manchester City and England

23. Lucy Bronze - Barcelona and England

24. Katie McCabe - Arsenal and Republic of Ireland

25. Ona Batlle - Barcelona and Spain

26. Debinha - Kansas City Current and Brazil

27. Hinata Miyazawa - Manchester United and Japan

28. Asisat Oshoala - Barcelona and Nigeria

29. Lindsey Horan - Lyon and USA

30. Mariona Caldentey - Barcelona and Spain

31. Kerolin - North Carolina Courage and Brazil

32. Khadija Shaw - Manchester City and Jamaica

33. Georgia Stanway - Bayern Munich and England

34. Amanda Ilestedt - Arsenal and Sweden

35. Wendie Renard - Lyon and France

36. Guro Reiten - Chelsea and Norway

37. Melchie Dumornay - Lyon and Haiti

38. Grace Geyoro - PSG and France

39. Jill Roord - Manchester City and Netherlands

40.Alessia Russo - Arsenal and England

41.Steph Catley - Arsenal and Australia

42.Ewa Pajor - Wolfsburg and Poland

43.Esmee Brugts - Barcelona and Netherlands

44. Yui Hasegawa - Manchester City and Japan

45. Magdalena Eriksson - Bayern Munich and Sweden

46. Stina Blackstenius - Arsenal and Sweden

47.Rose Lavelle - OL Reign and USA

48. Ellie Carpenter - Lyon and Australia

49. Irene Paredes - Barcelona and Spain

50. Alex Greenwood - Manchester City and England