By Kati Chitrakorn, CNN
London (CNN) — Soccer star Chloe Kelly plays as a forward for Arsenal, the Women’s Super League club in England. Known for her blistering pace and powerful shots, she’s also part of England’s women’s national football team, the Lionesses, which reached the World Cup final in 2023.
And now she’s also a Barbie doll.
In honor of being named as Barbie’s role model of the year, a toy has been made in the likeness of the 28-year-old athlete, who famously scored the winning goal in the UEFA European Women’s Championship in 2022 and the clinching penalty in the 2025 Euro final.
“I’m very proud to have my very own Barbie doll,” Kelly told CNN amid shooting her campaign for Barbie in a warehouse in north London, appearing energized and well rested despite participating in a Championships League game the night before (Arsenal is now through to the quarterfinals). “To see a footballer with a Barbie doll shows that our sport is here to stay. We’ve inspired so many on the pitch, but off the pitch this is huge.”
The miniature version of Kelly is wearing the 2025 England Lionesses kit (designed by Nike, the home shirt features a red and blue ombre stripe across the chest and is paired with blue shorts with red and white stripes on the side, knee high socks and soccer shoes). Meanwhile the real Kelly, when we speak, is wearing a cinched denim blouse with matching barrel-leg trousers designed by the up-and-coming British Nigerian designer Tolu Coker.
It’s emblematic in some ways of Kelly’s personal style, which tends to switch between high glamour and laidback separates. “I was drawn to the shape and structure of the outfit and going with something that I’m comfortable with – quite casual but also cool,” Kelly said.
Why Chloe Kelly’s doll matters
Running now for a decade, Barbie’s role model initiative is aimed at championing women who “brought their dreams to life” and “were the first to break boundaries,” according to the dollmaker.
It’s part of Barbie-owner Mattel’s efforts to move away from a narrow, singular image of beauty (blonde, blue-eyed and extreme hourglass figure) to creating a more inclusive reflection of the world. Today, the famous doll comes in various body types, skin tones, hair textures and physical abilities. Yet despite Mattel’s widening representation, sometimes there’s no storytelling more powerful than the hardships and accomplishments of a real person. And over the years, Barbie has lent its role model status to stars closely entwined with pop culture, such as Kylie Minogue, Helen Mirren, Shania Twain and Viola Davis.
Sports is an arena that Barbie has been increasingly making inroads into. To promote body positivity and strength, Mattel has made replica dolls of groundbreaking athletes including the basketball player Sue Bird, tennis star Venus Williams, boxer Estelle Mossely, swimmer Federica Pellegrini, track and field sprinter Ewa Swoboda; and rugby players Ilona Maher, Ellie Kildunne, Portia Woodman-Wickliffe and Nassira Konde. In more recent years, Barbie has also focused on celebrating the sometimes less-celebrated roles in sports, such as coaches, managers, trainers, reporters and mentors.
Kelly is a sportsperson – but she also stands for something more. Not only has she achieved tremendous success at a young age (she made her professional debut at 17), but she has also cultivated an engaged fanbase by serving as an advocate for girls’ grassroots soccer. These accomplishments are significant considering that women in the UK were once restricted from playing football, as it is known here, with the Football Association claiming that the sport was “unsuitable” for women’s health. A 50-year ban, lasting from 1921 to 1971, meant that women were not only unable to