The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) recently announced its new “High Impact Player” (HIP) rule, outlining the criteria for player eligibility. This includes rankings from multiple media sources, U.S. Women’s National Team playing time, and a list of the most marketable athletes in various sports. The goal is to enhance the bargaining power of NWSL clubs in the global player market. However, the NWSL Players Association disagrees with this policy, with Executive Director Meghann Burke stating it may lead to negative outcomes that could be better addressed by simply increasing the team salary cap.
Now that the criteria are public, a list of players qualifying for the HIP classification can be compiled, despite the upcoming 2025 ESPN FC Top 50 list stillpending.
A total of 99 players currently meet the HIP criteria.
This group consists of 28 players from the U.S., 13 from England, 12 from Spain, and 7 each from France and Germany, along with 6 from Brazil, covering 21 different countries. Notably, teams from Nigeria, Mexico, Canada, and Korea have no representatives in this list.
Representation within confederations shows a significant imbalance. UEFA (Europe) dominates with 55 players, while CONCACAF (North and Central America, and the Caribbean) has 30, CONMEBOL (South America) includes 8, and both AFC (Asia) and CAF (Africa) count 3 players each. Oceania does not have any players on the list.
Four clubs have more than 10 players on the list: Chelsea (14), Arsenal (11), Barcelona (11), and OL Lyonnes (11). The Kansas City Current has 7 HIP-qualifying athletes, while Bayern Munich and NJ/NY Gotham each have 6.
Ten additional NWSL clubs are represented, including Washington Spirit (5), Orlando Pride (3), Portland Thorns (3), Chicago Stars (2), and a few others with one each. Clubs like Angel City, Bay, Racing Louisville, and Utah Royals do not have any HIP players.
The Women’s Super League in England has nearly as many players, totaling 31, compared to 32 in the NWSL. France’s Première Ligue features 14, Spain’s Liga F has 13, Germany’s Frauen-Bundesliga contains 7, and the Italian Serie A lists 2. Amanda Gutierres, who qualifies based on her Ballon D’Or inclusion, played in Brazil in 2025 but will join the Boston Legacy in 2026, thus being considered an NWSL player for statistics.
The average age of players on the list is 27. There are five players born in 1990 or earlier: Marta, Alyssa Naeher, Ann-Katrin Berger, Cristiana Girelli, and Casey Krueger. In contrast, four players were born in 2005 or later: Lily Yohannes, Claire Hutton, Linda Caicedo, and Olivia Moultrie.
Among the listed players, seven are goalkeepers.
The HIP criteria include positions on various lists within the two years prior to the current league season. Thus, it’s important to note which players qualify only based on the 2024 criteria, as they may drop off the list by 2027. Currently, 34 players qualify solely from the 2024 criteria, including Croix Bethune, Sophia Wilson, and several others. This system may put at a disadvantage those players who miss time due to injuries or pregnancies.
Many players qualify under multiple criteria. Notably, Temwa Chawinga, Lindsay Heaps, and Trinity Rodman each meet 8 criteria, while several others qualify under 7 and 6.
Seven players have previously played in the NWSL but are no longer active in the league: Tarciane, Lindsay Heaps, and others. There are currently 30 NWSL players on the list, with 62 players not associated with any team.
Here is the complete list of players with HIP status as of December 23, 2025 (U.S. players in bold):
Additionally, here are some notable players who do not qualify for HIP status (U.S. players in bold):
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