Who are the most signed BWSL players in Football Manager 26?
Football Manager 26 has done something that women's football fans have been waiting a long time for. The Barclays Women's Super League and Women’s Super League 2 are now fully playable, built on the same detailed simulation that has made FM the most obsessive, sleep-depriving football management experience in the world.
Which means one thing - everyone is signing everyone, and we need to talk about it.
Over the coming weeks, we will be using Sports Interactive's data to answer exactly that. The series will cover the highest-rated players across both leagues, broken down by position. For each, we will look at their FM profile, what makes them stand out in the game, and how that maps onto what they have been doing on the pitch this season.
To kick things off, we are starting with the Most Signed XI for the BWSL. We have identified the eleven players chosen most frequently by FM26 managers in the top tier, and in this piece, we work through each one in turn, looking at the type of player they are, what their FM profile says about them, and why they keep appearing in saves across the world.
We are also running a competition throughout the series. WSL Football has teamed up with Football Manager to give you the ultimate football experience. You could win a copy of Football Manager 26 and a pair of tickets to a Barclays Women's Super League match of your choice. The competition runs until Friday 1st May at 5pm, and it only takes a moment to enter.
Hannah Hampton
Hannah Hampton is the most signed goalkeeper in Football Manager 26, and her standout attribute tells you most of what you need to know. Her Reflexes are rated 17 out of 20, the highest of any goalkeeper in the BWSL, and it’s a number that makes sense the moment you watch her play.
She’s capable of making the key saves needed to be a top-level goalkeeper, the reaction stops and the close-range denials, those moments where a fraction of a second separates a save from a goal, something that Chelsea fans already know.
Her Passing rating speaks to an important aspect of what modern goalkeeping actually requires. Anyone who watched Euro 2025 will remember how much England relied on her distribution to bypass the press. Chelsea asks the same of her week to week, and she delivers it.
Composure and Decision-making are also key for Hampton. Her profile is that of a goalkeeper who is reliable in the big moments and actively involved in playing out of defence. As a result, the Chelsea and England number one is the obvious first pick between the sticks.
Emily Fox
At right back, we have Emily Fox, one of the most dynamic players in the league. Her Pace rating is 17 in the game, placing her among the quickest in the BWSL regardless of position, and for many FM managers, that is reason enough. But signing her just for the pace is underselling her profile considerably.
What Fox offers is the full modern full-back package. She drives forward with intent, picks up advanced positions, and creates problems for defences, adding an extra element to Arsenal’s attack.
She’s not a player who overlaps and waits to cross; she looks to commit defenders and often finds herself on the edge of the opposition area. She shifts the tempo when she gets on the ball, and that quality runs through her FM profile with strong physical and technical attributes backing it up across the board.
Defensively, she is no liability, operating comfortably within Arsenal's counterpressing system. She tracks runners diligently and recovers possession in dangerous areas. There is a reliability to her defensive work that allows her teammates to trust her completely.
The American international possesses pace, quality in both directions, and the athletic profile to sustain it over ninety minutes. The community has already worked out how good she is, and the numbers back it up. So, it's perhaps unsurprising that Emily Fox is the most signed BWSL right-back in FM.
Maya Le Tissier
If you’re looking for a centre back who can do more than defend, Le Tissier is the answer, and FM managers have clearly identified that. She is the archetypal ball-playing defender: composed, technically assured, and capable of carrying the ball out of defence in a way that few centre-backs in the league can match. In the game, her Tackling and Passing ratings both sit at 16, showing a player who is genuinely two-sided rather than dominant in one area at the expense of the other.
Defensively, she is no-nonsense when she needs to be. She reads the game well, positions herself intelligently, and more often than not wins the physical battles. She is not a defender who relies on last-ditch heroics; she reads the game so well that she makes key interceptions with ease. No drama, no moments of panic.
In possession, she separates herself from most defenders in this league. She passes with incredible accuracy and range, consistently finding teammates in advanced positions and progressing the ball through the lines.
Manchester United's build-up is substantially better with her presence. For FM managers who want their centre backs to actively shape how the team plays, not just protect the backline, she is the obvious answer.
Alex Greenwood
Greenwood's Passing rating is 19 in the game, one of the highest of any player in the BWSL, let alone any defender, and it tells you everything about the kind of centre back she is. She dictates tempo from the back, often pulling the strings in a way most midfielders would be proud of.
She’s capable of finding the right pass at the right moment, has the range to switch play, and threads balls into advanced areas when the opportunity presents itself. Nine times out of ten, she sees the switch before it is on. Her ability to flip a defensive moment into an attacking one with a single pass is what makes her special.
Her progressive qualities do not detract from her abilities as a defender, though. She wins her duels consistently and rarely puts her team under unnecessary pressure. As Manchester City captain, her leadership is evident every time she plays, organising the defensive shape and demanding more from those around her, and this is reflected in her mental attributes in the game. She is one of the most signed centre-backs for good reason.
Niamh Charles
Niamh Charles is one of those full-backs who makes life very difficult for whoever is playing against her. She is tenacious, physically strong for the position, and the kind of player who does not shy away from hard work in either direction. Opponents who try to isolate her tend to come off second best.
Her season has been disrupted by injury, but when available, she has been exactly the player Chelsea needs. Charles defends intelligently; her positioning is excellent, and her anticipation of the next moment of danger makes her a proactive defender.
Going forward, she is efficient, she loves getting into advanced areas and delivering into the box with regularity. Her Crossing is highly rated, and her delivery is consistent; she possesses the kind of determination that makes her a threat whenever she moves forward.
The versatility across left-back and right-back gives you the tactical flexibility that is easy to undervalue. Charles does not always get the headlines, but she offers consistency across the board.
Marie Höbinger
Höbinger is perhaps the most intriguing name in the Most Signed XI. The Austrian midfielder, unfortunately, suffered an ACL injury in October and has not played since.
There is no single headline number that jumps off the page. Instead, what you get is a midfielder who is strong across the board.
Technically, she is well-rounded, too, with Passing and Technique both high, meaning she can sustain that intensity with the ball rather than just without it. She brings energy, press resistance, and the ability to get beyond the ball and arrive late into the box. She’s the kind of midfielder who is difficult to defend against.
The Liverpool midfielder is perhaps one of FM26's hidden gems. Her attribute profile is perfect for managers who value versatility and intensity over a single standout number.
Grace Clinton
Grace Clinton's FM profile tells the story of an all-round midfielder. Her Passing, Tackling, Technique, and Finishing are all strong, and her Dribbling is rated 17, which means she’s capable of carrying the ball forward. She can receive, progress, arrive late, score, and win the ball back when the team needs it. That combination makes her one of the most exciting prospects in the database.
Her Work Rate underpins everything because a midfielder with her technical quality is considerably more valuable when she is willing to do the defensive work as well. She doesn’t disappear when City do not have the ball. She tracks back efficiently, makes it harder for opponents to play through, and is immediately available when possession is regained.
Physically, she has the Stamina and Agility to sustain all of that across ninety minutes, which is what separates a midfielder with good attributes from one who actually delivers them consistently.
For anyone planning a long-term save, she is one of the most compelling midfield prospects in the game and offers the potential to build a team around her.
Ella Toone
Ella Toone is one of the most recognisable names in the women's game, and her FM ratings confirm just how good she is. In the game, her Dribbling is rated at 17, and alongside her Technique and Vision, she is a player who operates between the lines with instinctive intelligence, finding pockets of space and making things happen. For Manchester United, she is the player through whom everything tends to flow when the team is at its best.
Toone’s value is partly measurable in goals and assists, and partly in the dynamism she adds to United's attacking play. When she is involved, the team looks more capable of turning possession into a dangerous attack. Difficult to quantify but very easy to see.
Her FM ratings make her a logical pick for any manager who wants a technically gifted attacking midfielder, whether playing a United save or not. She makes the team around her better simply by being on the pitch, and that is as good a recommendation as any.
Lauren James
Lauren James is one of the best players in the BWSL, and her FM profile leaves little room for argument. Her Dribbling is rated 18 out of 20, second-best in the league, and her broader attribute set across technical, physical, and mental categories makes her one of the highest-rated players in the game, regardless of position.
But the dribbling rating alone does not capture what makes her so difficult to play against. What unsettles defenders is that they cannot reduce her game to a single threat. She can beat opponents with pace. She can beat them technically in tight spaces. She can drift centrally, she can stay wide, she scores, and she creates, sometimes within the same passage of play. Defenders who have prepared for one version of her frequently discover she has no intention of being that version today.
Her technical ability, coupled with the flair that she brings every time she touches the ball, not to mention the vision she possesses. James can see a pass where no one else can; she’s often thinking one or two steps ahead. She is not just fast and skilful, though; she is precise, and that precision is what makes her a special player rather than simply exciting.
In FM, signing her is not a complicated decision. She is arguably the best player in this XI on paper and, on current form, is making a strong case for being the best in the league.
Alessia Russo
The easiest way to understand Alessia Russo is to watch Arsenal without her and notice what is missing. It’s not just the goal threat, though that is real. Her presence forces centre-backs into decisions they are not comfortable making, while her hold-up play creates time and space for runners arriving behind her.
In the box, the Arsenal forward is lethal; her finishing is excellent, often instinctive. She is capable of producing moments of magic in big games.
Russo is more than just a goalscorer; she is a striker who makes the team around her function better, and FM rates her accordingly across a broad range of attributes rather than concentrating everything in one area.
She is a determined player, willing to run off the ball and work for the team. Her off-the-ball movement is a key aspect of her game and a reason she can comfortably be deployed as a number 9 or 10, depending on the system.
In FM, she is the obvious first choice up front for any save involving an English top-flight club. Not just for the goals, but for everything that surrounds them. Sign her and trust the process.
Alyssa Thompson
Alyssa Thompson's game is built on directness, and she is at a club that trusts her to express it. In the game, her Pace is rated at 19, the highest of any outfield player in the BWSL, and her Dribbling is 17, which means she has the technical quality to back it up. When she receives the ball wide, her intention is to attack her defender, and Chelsea give her the licence to act on that every time.
What makes her more than just a speed merchant is that she consistently arrives in the right areas. She gets into the box, and there is a clinical edge to her play, to go with the directness. She has significantly outperformed her expected goals this season, which speaks to a finishing quality that the raw dribbling numbers alone do not capture.
Her crossing output adds another dimension, making her a threat in more than one way down the left channel. She is the kind of winger who can single-handedly change a match. The American international is an incredibly dynamic wide outlet, and it’s no surprise to see her here.
Conclusion
The Most Signed XI features top-quality players across the board. Greenwood, Russo and Fox are seasoned internationals who have been performing at the highest level for years, while Clinton and James are just beginning to make their mark on the biggest stage.
Having the BWSL and BWSL 2 in Football Manager for the first time has opened something up. Managers are building dynasties, scouting players they had never heard of, and losing entire weekends to saves they promised themselves they would finish after one more season. For those who already follow the top flight, it adds a new dimension to their experience of the game. For those who are new to the leagues, it’s a brilliant, if not slightly addictive, introduction.
Next up, we turn our attention to the Barclays Women's Super League 2. There may be some less familiar names in there, but the profiles are no less interesting as we continue to showcase the best of both tiers of English women's football in Football Manager.
Don’t forget, the WSL Football FM competition is running from Tuesday 14th April at 3.30pm until Friday 1st May at 5pm. Head to the competition page here for your chance to win.