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.
On 17 October 2013, Weir scored her first UEFA Women's Champions League goal against Kazakh side CSHVSM-Kairat.
Whilst at Arsenal, Weir won the FA Women's Cup in 2014 but was unable to establish herself as a regular starter.
Bristol Academy On 9 July 2015, it was announced that Weir left Arsenal for FA WSL side Bristol Academy.
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.TrueView: 360 view of Weir's stunning derby winner, Manchester City FC, 31 March 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2022 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 areaCaroline Weir Chip Goal Vs Man Utd Women For City Women 2021 & Alex Greenwood Reaction, Soccer Blogger, 12 February 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2022 – was nominated for the FIFA Puskas Award 2021.Caroline Weir in running for FIFA’s Puskas Award for second year running, The Independent, 29 November 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2022 Almost exactly a year later she scored a very similar goal against the same opposition.Weir scores brilliant late winner as City beat United in Manchester derby, BBC Sport, 13 February 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2022Caroline Weir’s sublime chip seals WSL derby win for Manchester City, The Guardian, 13 February 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2022
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;Real Madrid 4–0 Celtic, Adam Binnie, BBC Sport, 17 October 2024 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,Glasgow City Glasgow City FC 2–3 Arsenal, UEFA 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.
On 8 September 2026, Weir was nominated for the Ballon d'Or Féminin, for the second consecutive year.
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.SWNT squad named for Euros play-off, Scottish Football Association, 14 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."
Scotland's 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifying campaign began under Weir's captaincy with a 5–0 away win over Luxembourg on 3 March 2026, in which she scored a hat-trick. In June 2026 Scotland faced Israel, whose home fixtures were staged in Hungary for security reasons; Weir scored a hat-trick in a 6–0 win in Budapest, then scored four goals four days later as Scotland won 5–1 to finish top of their qualifying group on goal difference.
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. In 2026, Weir was named ambassador of the Pars Foundation and launched the Caroline Weir Young Leader Programme in partnership with Sported and the Scottish FA, to provide more opportunities for girls and young women in football at community level.
Career statistics Club
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueCupLeague CupEuropeOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsHibernian2011SWPL 1124————1242012199—10——2092013109—21——1210Total4122003100004423Arsenal2013WSL70—1000—802014WSL 160103151—15220153010———40Total16020415100272Bristol Academy2015WSL 183—53——136Total8300530000136Liverpool2016WSL 11671020——19720178531———1162017-181712153——245Total4113627300005418Manchester City2018–19WSL185406210—2972019–20163106332—2682020–21208402061103392021–22196536421—3214Total73221432091241012038Real Madrid2022–23Liga F2819421196—42282023–2410000000—102024–2526103121103—41152025–2627142021105—4120Total8243935329140012563OL Lyonnes2026–27Première Ligue110000200031Total110000200031Career total2621043184520471910386151
International appearances Scotland statistics accurate as of match played 3 March 2026. Great Britain statistics accurate as of match played 2 August 2021. Year Scotland Great BritainAppsGoalsAppsGoals201350colspan=2201461colspan=22015124colspan=2201670colspan=22017141colspan=22018110colspan=22019133colspan=2202072colspan=2202182402022102colspan=2202392colspan=2202441colspan=2202593colspan=22026610colspan=2Total1213140
International goals Results list Scotland's goal tally first. # Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 13 September 2014 Fir Park, Motherwell, Scotland 2–0 9–0 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification 2. 8 February 2015 Solitude, Belfast, Northern Ireland 2–0 4–0 Friendly 3. 3–0 4 23 October 2015 Fir Park, Motherwell, Scotland 2–0 7–0 UEFA Women's Euro 2017 qualifying 5. 27 October 2015 Petar Miloševski Training Centre, Skopje, Macedonia 4–0 4–1 6. 27 July 2017 De Adelaarshorst, Deventer, Netherlands 1–0 1–0 UEFA Women's Euro 2017 7. 17 January 2019 La Manga Club Football Stadium, La Manga, Spain 1–2 1–3 Friendly 8. 28 May 2019 Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland 2–1 3–2 9. 30 August 2019 Easter Road, Edinburgh, Scotland 8–0 8–0 UEFA Women's Euro 2021 qualifying 10. 23 October 2020 Tynecastle Park, Edinburgh, Scotland 2–0 3–0 11. 3–0 12. 19 February 2021 AEK Arena, Larnaca, Cyprus 3–0 10–0 13. 10 June 2021 Solitude, Belfast, Northern Ireland 1–0 1–0 Friendly 14. 24 June 2022 , Rzeszów, Poland 1–0 4–0 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification 15. 6 September 2022 Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands 2–0 6–0 16. 11 April 2023 Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland 3–0 4–0 Friendly 17. 18 July 2023 Tampere Stadium, Tampere, Finland 1–0 2–1 18. 29 October 2024 Easter Road, Edinburgh, Scotland 3–0 4–0 UEFA Women's Euro 2025 qualifying play-offs 19. 8 April 2025 Volkswagen Arena, Wolfsburg, Germany 1–0 1–6 2025 UEFA Women's Nations League 20. 24 October 2025 Père Jégo Stadium, Casablanca, Morocco 2–1 2–1 Friendly 21. 28 October 2025 East End Park, Dunfermline, Scotland 3–4 3–4 22. 3 March 2026 Stade Émile Mayrisch, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg 1–0 5–0 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification 23. 3–0 24. 4–0 25 5 June 2026 Bozsik Aréna, Budapest, Hungary 2–0 6–0 26. 3–0 27. 4–0 28. 9 June 2026 1–0 5–1 29. 3–1 30. 4–1 31. 5–1
Honours Arsenal FA Women's Cup: 2014
Manchester City FA Women's League Cup: 2018–19, 2021–22