𝐀 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐨 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐀𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐈𝐅𝐏𝐑𝐎 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧’𝐬 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 11 — 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞.

A trio of stars from Arsenal Women have reflected on what it means to be selected for the FIFPRO Women’s World 11 — and their words underline why this particular honour holds special significance.

 

When players are chosen by their peers, it carries a sense of validation beyond the usual accolades. As one member of the squad put it: “As any player would say, those are the opinions that mean the most… being voted for by other players… it’s really special.” That phrasing perfectly captures the sentiment now shared by the three Gunner performers.

Firstly, for captain Leah Williamson, the nomination acknowledges the collective effort of both club and country. Having helped Arsenal scale the heights of the women’s game, she emphasises that this recognition comes not just from fans or media, but from the players who share the pitch with you week in, week out. Being recognised by those you train with — and those you play against — adds a deeper layer of meaning.

Then there’s Chloé Kelly, whose dynamism and crucial contributions underlined her selection. For her it’s not just a personal achievement, but one grounded in respect from rivals and teammates alike. She has noted how the World 11 is “the award from the players… it means even more when your peers recognise you.”

And finally, the forward Alessia Russo underscored how meaningful the peer-voted nature of the award is. “It means so much to be recognised by your teammates… being voted by them makes it feel even more special,” she said as she picked up her place among the world’s best. Her words resonate for any athlete who spends as many hours training, travelling and competing as she does: the ones who know you best are the ones whose respect counts most.

What makes this trio’s achievement even more notable is the context: Arsenal’s recent success on the European stage and the international prominence of England’s women have combined to elevate all of them. The fact that this recognition comes in an environment where over 6,000 professional women’s footballers cast votes globally underscores the prestige of the listing.

In summarising it, the sentiment of the trio converges on a few key points: acknowledgement by rivals and teammates, a reflection of consistent performance rather than just headlines, and a reminder of the value of peer-respect in sport. For them — and for Arsenal Women — it’s a moment to savour, not just for what they’ve done, but for how they’ve been judged by those who know the game best.

Ultimately, the message is clear: trophies are terrific, but to be deemed world-class by your fellow professionals? That feels even more special.