Most successful women’s soccer clubs

While it can’t yet compete with the money and worldwide support invested in the men’s game, women’s football has grown exponentially in both competitiveness and interest in recent years, culminating in the successful 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

The last decade has seen female players breaking records, emulating the technique and quality of the men’s game, and moving the goalposts of what’s possible on a global level.  The result is a sharp rise in quality and competitiveness, and increased prestige surrounding the sport’s main events and titles.

In addition to the international game, women’s club football has come on in leaps and bounds, with several clubs around the world achieving significant success in domestic and international competitions and establishing themselves as global powerhouses.

Here is a list of some of the most successful women’s soccer clubs in the world, based on their achievements to date:

• Olympique Lyonnais (France): Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, commonly known as Lyon, is one of the most dominant women’s club teams in the world. They have won numerous French Division 1 Féminine titles and have an impressive record in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, with multiple titles to their name. Indeed, Lyon is the most successful club in the competition’s history, winning the title eight times, including five consecutive titles between 2016 and 2020.
• FC Barcelona Femení (Spain): The FC Barcelona women’s team has enjoyed considerable success in recent years. They won the UEFA Women’s Champions League and the domestic league (Primera División) in the 2020-21 season, and are the current Champions League title holders, having beaten VfL Wolfsburg in the 2023 final. The core of the Barca team went on to win the 2023 Women’s World Cup with Spain, echoing the men’s team success on the global stage in 2010. Barcelona are the only club to win the UEFA Champions League with both their men’s and women’s football teams.
• VfL Wolfsburg (Germany): Die Wölfinnen are undoubtedly the biggest and most successful team in German women’s football, and have been a consistent force in both the German Frauen-Bundesliga and the UEFA Women’s Champions League, having won both competitions multiple titles.
• Portland Thorns FC (United States): One of the three Major League Soccer-affiliated clubs in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in the United States, the Portland Thorns have emerged in recent times as one of the formidable forces in US women’s football. Based in Oregon on the West Coast, the Thorns have a strong fan base and have won several NWSL Championships.
• Corinthians (Brazil): Corinthians are one of the most successful South American clubs in women’s football, and are a major factor in the growth of women’s football in Brazil. The Alvinegro completed a historic treble in 2021 as they won both their domestic league and cup competition, as well as the Copa Libertadores. The feat also capped off a run of three consecutive Campeonato Paulista wins between 2019 and 2021.
• Chelsea FC Women (England): Since winning the 2014/15 Women’s FA Cup – their first major trophy – Chelsea have gone on to establish themselves as one of the most dominant teams in English women’s football, winning six WSL titles, four FA Cups, two FA Women’s League Cups and one Women’s Community Shield, while finishing as runners-up in the 2020/21 UWCL. Since then, they have been a dominant force in the English Women’s Super League (WSL), winning the league on multiple occasions.
• Bayern Munich Frauen (Germany): Bayern Munich’s women’s team has been a consistently competitive force in the Frauen-Bundesliga and in European tournaments. In May 2023, Bayern Munich celebrated a double championship success, with both the women’s and men’s team winning their respective top national football leagues within two days of one another.
• North Carolina Courage (United States): The North Carolina Courage, formerly known as the Western New York Flash, have dominated the US National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in recent years, winning multiple league titles.
• Paris Saint-Germain Féminines (France): the PSG women’s team has consistently been among the top clubs in France and – unlike their male equivalent – has made progress in the Champions League. After finishing as runners-up behind Olympique Lyonnais Féminin eight times between 2010 and 2020, Les Parisiennes finally got their hands on the Division 1 Féminine title having fended off Lyon’s charge during the 2020/21 season. 
• Melbourne City FC (Australia): Melbourne City FC Women’s team has been resoundingly successful in the Australian A-League Women, winning multiple league titles. City can boast an undefeated season, with 11 wins and one draw in 2019/20, securing their second premiership title. Since then, Melbourne have become the first team in W-League history to secure four championships.