Bronze named in World 11 for record ninth time
Source: BBC Sport ↗ (cross-verified by 2 outlets — full list below)
England defender Lucy Bronze has been named in the FIFPRO Women’s World 11 for a record ninth time, cementing her status as the most frequently selected player in the award’s history. Bronze joins four fellow England internationals—Alex Greenwood, Alessia Russo, Ella Toone and Hannah Hampton—who also made the eleven, while Spain’s Irene Paredes returns after her last inclusion in 2017. The forward line features Zambia’s Barbra Banda, now on her third appearance and the sole player in the squad who does not play for an English or Spanish club, alongside Barcelona’s Claudia Pina. The World 11 is the only global football accolade chosen exclusively by players, with 6,511 female professionals from 64 nations casting votes.
The selection reflects performances recorded between 4 August 2025 and 16 August 2026, a period that required a minimum of 20 appearances to be eligible for consideration. Voters were instructed to pick the three best performers in each position—goalkeeper, defender, midfielder and forward—and the three highest‑voted players in each category formed the core of the team. An additional outfield spot was awarded to the player with the next highest overall vote total, regardless of position, ensuring a balanced eleven. The defenders chosen were Bronze (Chelsea, England), Greenwood (Manchester City, England), Mapi Leon (Barcelona/London City Lionesses, Spain) and Paredes (Barcelona, Spain); midfielders included Aitana Bonmati, Alexia Putellas and Toone; forwards were Banda, Pina and Russo (Arsenal, England).
The announcement underscores the growing influence of English and Spanish talent in the women’s game, while also highlighting the global reach of the award through Banda’s inclusion. With Bronze’s unprecedented ninth selection, she sets a benchmark for future players, and the presence of multiple England internationals signals the nation’s rising prominence on the world stage. The FIFPRO World 11, driven entirely by peer voting, offers a unique perspective on elite performance, and the results will likely shape discussions ahead of upcoming international tournaments and club seasons.
⚡ Effects Interpreter
🌍World Economylow impact
What this means for you
- ▶Growth projections drawn up in distant capitals may need a rethink.
- ▶Currency traders elsewhere may start pricing in the fallout within hours.
🏙️Local Economyhigh impact
What this means for you
- ▶Pubs, restaurants and transport near the venue tend to enjoy a big-match boost.
- ▶Public transport nearby can see a healthy surge in fares.
🏦Rates & Banksmedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶Central bankers rarely rush; they prefer to see how the dust settles.
- ▶A change in the cost of money, if it comes, will likely arrive subtly.
❤️Healthmedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶A shared sporting moment can genuinely lift a whole community's mood.
- ▶A great sporting moment can inspire more people to get moving.
💷Wealthmedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶Any hit to your money is more likely a ripple than a wave.
- ▶Investors often reshuffle their holdings when stories like this break.
🏠Housinglow impact
What this means for you
- ▶House prices and rents are unlikely to shift the moment this news breaks.
- ▶Housing supply and demand rarely turn on a single piece of news.
🌍 Effects for your country
The U.S.'s central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The U.S.'s economy is growing at 2.3% with inflation at 3.6%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the U.S.'s own central bank rate closely. With the U.S.'s unemployment at 4.2%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the U.S. depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UK's central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UK's economy is growing at 1.3% with inflation at 3.3%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UK's own central bank rate closely. With the UK's unemployment at 5.3%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UK depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
France's central bank rate currently stands at 2%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. France's economy is growing at 0.4% with inflation at 2.4%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track France's own central bank rate closely. With France's unemployment at 8.4%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is already under strain. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in France depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
Romania's central bank rate currently stands at 6.5%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. Romania's economy is growing at -0.5% with inflation at 8.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track Romania's own central bank rate closely. With Romania's unemployment at 6.5%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in Romania depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UAE's central bank rate currently stands at 3.65%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UAE's economy is growing at -3.9% with inflation at 4.5%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UAE's own central bank rate closely. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UAE depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.