Caroline Weir

Caroline Elspeth Lillias Weir (born 20 June 1995) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or forward for OL Lyonnes and captains the Scotland national team. She is often regarded as one of the world's best players.

She began her career in Scotland with Hibernian, moving to Arsenal aged 18 and spending the next nine years in English football with Bristol Academy, Liverpool and Manchester City, winning four trophies (two FA Women's Cups and two WSL Cups) in her time at City.

She joined Liga F club Real Madrid in 2022, becoming the first Scottish player in the top division of Spanish women's football. After 4 years at Real Madrid, Weir departed at the end of the 2025-26 Liga F season as the club's all-time leading goalscorer.

Weir made her full international debut in 2013, and played for Scotland at the UEFA Euro 2017 and 2019 FIFA World Cup tournaments. She also featured for the rarely-assembled Great Britain team at the 2020 Olympic Games (held in 2021).

Club career Elgin Star Raised in Dunfermline, Weir began her footballing journey playing for local boys' team Elgin Star FC in the Fife Football Development League at Pitreavie Playing Fields between 2003 and 2005. She played as a midfielder in the 7-a-side games, invariably scoring two to three goals each game and regularly receiving the player of the match award.

Hibernian Weir started her career in the Hibernian youth system from the age of ten. In 2011, she won the SWFL First Division player of the year award for her performances in Hibs' reserve side while also making her first team debut in May against Glasgow City.

Arsenal Weir joined FA WSL side Arsenal in July 2013 after leaving high school. Whilst at Arsenal, Weir won the FA Women's Cup

Liverpool On 18 January 2016, it was announced that Weir had left relegated Bristol to sign for Liverpool. While with the Reds, she won the club's Ladies Player of the Year Award for 2016.

Manchester City On 1 June 2018, Manchester City announced the signing of Weir. She won the Player of the Match award in the 2019 WSL Cup Final as Manchester City defeated her former club Arsenal 4–2 on penalties.

Weir scored the winner, a 25-yard strike, as Manchester City defeated Manchester United 1–0 in the inaugural Manchester derby on 7 September 2019. The goal was subsequently nominated for the FIFA Puskas Award 2020. On 31 January 2020, she signed a new contract with Manchester City until 2022.

On 29 November 2021, another goal against Manchester United on 12 February 2021 – a chip from the edge of the area – was nominated for the FIFA Puskas Award 2021. Almost exactly a year later she scored a very similar goal against the same opposition.

Real Madrid On 7 July 2022, Real Madrid announced the signing of Weir on a free transfer. Shortly after that, a statement was released about a "hold on processing of non-EU licences", affecting the signing of Weir, who was not registered with Real Madrid before 30 June. A month later she scored a goal that knocked her previous club Manchester City out of Champions League qualifying and enabled Madrid to progress the second phase.

Weir suffered damage to her anterior cruciate ligament while on international duty in September 2023 and was out of action for a year. Shortly after her return from the injury in October 2024, she "curled in a brilliant opener from distance" to open the scoring in a 2024–25 UEFA Women's Champions League fixture against Celtic which Real Madrid won 4–0; it was the first time she had played a club match against a Scottish team since Arsenal defeated Glasgow City in the 2013–14 edition of the same tournament, a few months after Weir left Hibernian for the English league.

On 3 December 2024, The Guardian named Weir at 83rd place among the top 100 women footballers in the world for 2024, a drop of 39 places from her 2023 placing attributable primarily to her injury absence. On March 31, 2025, Weir became Real Madrid Femenino's all-time leading goalscorer after scoring her 40th goal for the club in a 3–0 victory over Real Sociedad, surpassing the previous record of 39 goals held by Esther González.

On 7 August 2025, Weir became the first Scottish player to be nominated for the Ballon d'Or Féminin, being named to the award's shortlist of 30 players. Weir finished the 2025–26 season as Real Madrid's top scorer and the club's all-time leading goalscorer before leaving the club upon the expiry of her contract in June 2026, ending a four-year spell in which she scored 63 goals in 125 appearances.

OL Lyonnes On 16 June 2026, French Première Ligue side OL Lyonnes announced the signing of Weir on a free transfer on a contract running until 2029.

International career Scotland Having represented Scotland at all youth levels, Weir received her first call-up for the Scotland senior squad for their match against Iceland in June 2013. She retained her place in the squad for the following game against Germany. During Euro 2017, the first major tournament for which Scotland had qualified, Weir scored the opening goal against Spain and was voted player of the game. She helped Scotland qualify for the 2019 FIFA World Cup, and played in all of their three matches at the tournament. A mural of Weir was unveiled in her hometown of Dunfermline to mark the occasion of Scotland's first time qualifying for the World Cup. During the 2023 FIFA World Cup UEFA play-off match against Ireland, which the Scots lost 1–0, Weir had a penalty saved. After missing more than a year of football due to injury, she was recalled to the national squad in October 2024.

On 10 February 2026, Weir was appointed as Scotland's captain following the retirement of Rachel Corsie the previous summer. Speaking about the time it took for the decision to appoint Weir to be made, Scotland's head coach Melissa Andreatta said "I wanted to take that time about who best represents all those things about this team and through all those moments together, camps together, time together, the decision was made that Caz would best represent the team as captain and be more than ably supported by Erin as vice-captain."

Great Britain Olympic team Weir was one of two Scots selected by Great Britain for the 2020 Summer Olympics, along with Kim Little. She was initially credited with scoring in the 1–1 draw with Canada, but it was later denoted as an own goal by Nichelle Prince. She also had a penalty saved during their 4–3 loss to Australia in the quarter-final.

Personal life In 2023, Weir graduated from Staffordshire University with a degree in Professional Sports Writing and Broadcasting.

In June 2024, she married Josh Emerson in the South of France. The ceremony was covered exclusively by Hello! Magazine.

Weir is a supporter of Dunfermline Athletic and held a season ticket as a child.

International appearances Scotland statistics accurate as of match played 3 March 2026. Great Britain statistics accurate as of match played 2 August 2021.

International goals Results list Scotland's goal tally first. FA Women's Cup: 2014

Manchester City FA Women's League Cup: 2018–19, 2019–20 Individual

Ballon D'Or Feminin Nominee: 2025 Liga F AFE Player of the Season: 2022–23 Scotland Player of the Year: 2016, 2020 SFWA Women's International Player of the Year: 2021–22, 2022–23 NRS Scottish Sporting Breakthrough Award: 2017 FA Women's Super League Goal of the Month: February 2022 PFA Bristol Street Motors Fans’ Player of the Month: December 2020 PFA Women's Super League (WSL) Team of the Year: 2016–17, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22 Puskas Award Nominee: 2020, 2021 Real Madrid Player of the Season: 2022–23 , 2024-25 Primera División Team of the Year: 2024–25