20: Caroline Graham Hansen

Injury once threatened to derail one of Europe’s most promising talents but, at just 23, Graham Hansen is a worthy addition to this year’s top 20. There were not many goals but the assists flowed as she forged a deadly partnership for Wolfsburg with Pernille Harder, keeping her composure to score the winning penalty against Bayern Munich in the German cup final. She also played a key role in helping her country finish above the Netherlands in the World Cup qualifiers, guaranteeing an automatic spot in France for next summer.

Stephan Lerch, VfL Wolfsburg manager:

“Caroline, especially in a one on one situation, is very strong. She has an outstanding dribbling ability in narrow spaces and she’s very, very dynamic. She’s also a very good finisher, a strong player for us.”

Martin Sjogren, Norway head coach:

“Caroline is a player that can do the most incredible things with a football. She has extreme individual skills, but has developed into a great team-player as well during this year. She is now also our vice-captain, and has showen great leadership skills.”

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19. Alexandra Popp ⇒