Eight Bayern Munich players in the Guardian’s Top 100 Best Female Footballers

England’s The Guardian newspaper has revealed their rankings of the Top 100 Best Female Footballers in the World for 2021, and Bayern Munich is represented by eight total players on the list, led by captain Lina Magull in the rankings.

The world’s best player, according to The Guardian, is Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas. This is the first time that she’s won the award which sees her jump 22 places in the rankings. Putellas had a terrific year, leading Barcelona to the treble.

Here is the top ten:

1. Alexia Putellas - Barcelona - Spain
2. Vivianne Miedema - Arsenal - Netherlands
3. Sam Kerr - Chelsea - Australia
4. Caroline Graham Hansen - Barcelona - Norway
5. Pernille Harder - Chelsea - Denmark
6. Jenni Hermoso - Barcelona - Spain
7. Fran Kirby - Chelsea - England
8. Irene Paredes - Barcelona - Spain
9. Lieke Martens - Barcelona - Netherlands
10. Aitana Bonmati - Barcelona - Spain

Here are the rankings of the Bayern players and their explanations:

26 - Lina Magull

The Germany playmaker often goes unnoticed at awards season but she places higher than ever before this year. One of the most creative players in Europe, Magull is at the source of many attacks for both her country and Bayern Munich, her five goals and six assists one of the key reasons Jens Scheuer’s side were finally able to end Wolfsburg’s dominance in Germany. A fine year from a fine player who continues to improve.

33 - Hanna Glas

It has taken some time but Glas has finally this year become the highest ranked full-back in our list, surpassing Lucy Bronze. It is much deserved – for too long Glas has gone underappreciated despite her consistent presence in defence and her ability to get forward and help in attack. She was excellent for Sweden against the USA in Tokyo and has been a consistent source of assists for club and country, playing a key role in helping Bayern Munich win back their Bundesliga title from Wolfsburg.

40 - Lea Schüller

Schüller not only returns to the 100 this year but flies straight back into the top 50 and there’s few arguments when looking at her impact in 2021. She ended last season with 16 goals, the most of any Bayern Munich player as they won the Bundesliga title and her seven this season see her lead the race for the golden boot already. At 24 she is one of the most fearsome strikers anywhere in Europe, and already has 11 goals for Germany in just six World Cup qualifiers, an incredible record by anyone’s standards.

41 - Saki Kumagai

Kumagai made the move away from Lyon this year where she was always such a key component of the French side’s dominance. Joining German champions Bayern Munich in the summer, the Japanese superstar remains one of the classiest operators in the game whether it be in midfield or defence, and typically returned to haunt her former club with a late goal in a recent Champions League group stage tie. Kumagai remains one of the calmest with the ball at her feet and has already settled nicely into Bundesliga life.

62 - Sofia Jakobsson

Jakobsson enjoyed a good start to the year with Real Madrid, consistently supplying goals and assists for her team as we’ve come to expect from the Swede. She played a key role for her country in the summer Olympics, registering three assists with her driven attacking play down the wings and picked up a silver medal for her efforts. A move to Bayern Munich has followed. She has had a steady start in Bavaria despite struggling for a regular starting spot, but has shown her quality when called upon by Jens Scheuer.

69 - Linda Dallmann

Nobody had a higher rate of assists per 90 minutes in the Bundesliga last season than Dallmann, and that says much of what you need to know about her influence on the Bayern Munich team and their deserved title success in 2020-21. Dallmann has become one of the best creative players in Europe, whether it be direct assists or passes that help create openings, Dallmann is establishing herself as a top player and ahead of next year’s Euros is really one to watch for Germany.

81 - Marina Hegering

Hegering has enjoyed a late blossoming in making the list for the first time at 31, but her role in Bayern Munich’s domestic triumph last season ensures it’s a deserved inclusion for the rock-solid German who has only in the last few years started to hold down a permanent spot in the national team. Hegering goes quietly about her business but has over 2021 become one of the top centre-backs and is hugely important to both Bayern and Germany.

91 - Sydney Lohmann

Lohmann is one of many players who would have probably claimed a higher ranking had it not been for injuries. One of the breakout stars of 2020, Lohmann took that form into 2021 and played a commanding midfield role in what turned out to be an ultimately successful year for Bayern Munich. Now a key member of the Germany team, Lohmann had to have hip surgery a few months ago but should still return at the top of her game.

The other non-Bayern Germans in the rankings are Wolfsburg’s Lena Oberdorf (44), OL Reign’s Dzsenifer Marozsán (46), Chelsea’s Ann-Katrin Berger (49) and Melanie Leupolz (64), and Paris Saint-Germain’s Sara Däbritz.

The other non-Bayern (and non-German) Frauen Bundesliga players in the rankings are Wolfsburg’s Jill Roord (76) and Ewa Pajor (78) alongside Hoffenheim’s Nicole Billa (80).