League starts are just around the corner. Let's remind who ruled last season?

In the USA, the season already started in February, but in the other top leagues, the start of the new campaign is still ahead of us. Before a season full of new stories begins, let’s take one last look back at the previous one. Which players made the biggest goal contribution?

WSL: Bunny Shaw (Manchester City, 21 goals, 4 assists, 1949 minutes)

Who else but Bunny Shaw? In the 2024/25 season, Shaw suffered an injury and Alessia Russo knocked her off the top of the goalscoring table. Russo finished second last season, while the star Jamaican striker returned to the throne with 21 league goals and four assists.

Manchester City ended the season with a double, and Shaw played a huge part in winning not only the league title but also the FA Cup. In the semi-final, she first turned the game against Chelsea around with two goals, before opening the scoring in the final against Brighton.

It’s no surprise that other clubs were interested in her after a season like that. Shaw’s contract with the Citizens was coming to an end and Chelsea were willing to pay a record fee for her. Shaw, however, decided to stay at City, meaning the defending champions head into the season with their biggest weapon still in their ranks. 

Premiére Ligue: Romee Leuchter (Paris Saint-Germain, 18 goals, 7 assists, 1414 minutes)

Although OL Lyonnes dominated in France, the league’s top scorer wears a PSG shirt. The Parisian club did not have a good season at all. They finished bottom of the Champions League and were knocked out in the league semi-finals. The Dutch striker, however, carried the team.

Leuchter’s success is no surprise. Before moving to France, she became Ajax’s all-time top scorer. It’s therefore no surprise that Chelsea were interested in her services. However, the clubs failed to agree on financial terms, so it is likely that Leuchter will stay in Paris for another season, which will surely please the fans.

Liga F: Claudia Pina (Barcelona Femení, 21 goals, 5 asissts, 1498 minutes)

Pina scored five more goals than her teammate Ewa Pajor (who, however, was injured for part of the season), while Pajor returned the favour by replacing Pina as the top scorer in the Champions League.

Barcelona were dominant in Liga F, as shown by the quadruple they won. And the diminutive Spanish sniper played a crucial part in that success. Barcelona, however, head into the new season without some of their biggest stars, such as Alexia Putellas and Salma Paralluelo. Luckily for the fans, both Pina and Pajor are staying.

Bundesliga Frauen: Selina Cerci (then Hoffenheim, now Arsenal, 16 goals, 9 assists, 2009 minutes)

Although Bayern Munich dominated the Frauen-Bundesliga, as they have done for a long time, Selina Cerci, who wore the Hoffenheim jersey, had the biggest goal contribution. Larissa Mühlhaus of Werder Bremen did score one more goal, but Cerci added nine assists to her 16 goals, making her the most productive player in the German league for the second season in a row.

It’s therefore no surprise that Arsenal snapped up Cerci after her contract at Hoffenheim expired. A move to Arsenal is a dream come true for Cerci, who has long made no secret of the fact that she is a lifelong Gooner.

Serie A Women: Tessa Wullaert (then Inter Milan, now Como 1907, 14 goals, 9 asists, 18000 minutes)

Serie A was dominated by quite possibly its biggest name. Tessa Wullaert is no newcomer to the world of women’s football, but one of the most successful Belgian female footballers, if not the most successful of all.

The Red Flames captain has scored more goals for her country than the likes of Lukaku or Kevin De Bruyne. Her club career is no less interesting. She has played for Wolfsburg and Manchester City, among others. Her latest stop was Inter Milan, whom she helped reach European competition for the first time in the club’s history.

Although Inter’s run in the Europa Cup did not last long and the team did not fare much better in Serie A, Wullaert was in fine goalscoring form. With 14 goals and nine assists, she was the Italian league’s top scorer. Now a new challenge awaits her, as she will wear the shirt of Como 1907, who are new to Serie A, from next season. The ambitious project will surely appreciate her leadership and ability.

NWSL: Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City Current, 15 goals, 3 assists, 1809 minutes)

Compared to European competitions, we look at the NWSL with a bit of a delay, as it follows a spring-to-autumn calendar. But with Chawinga currently shining at WAFCON in a Malawi shirt, it will come as no surprise that she was the top scorer of the 2025 season.

Thanks in part to Chawinga, Kansas City Current won the regular season, before unexpectedly losing to Gotham in the playoffs. But that does not change the fact that Chawinga is one of the best footballers playing in the NWSL. She is also thriving for her national team, with Malawi, who are competing at WAFCON 2026 for the first time, among the favourites to win the tournament.