As I write this, the 2024 World Cup is in its fifth day. As always, a few players will be household names in their respective countries - and worldwide, once this contest finishes.
As this World Cup thrusts new stars into the spotlight, Superprof takes a look back. In this article, we review trailblazers for women's soccer. This chart outlines the top five most famous and important female soccer players from around the world. Our exposé details their accomplishments, and those of more players.
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Abby Wambach
Born: June 2, 1980, USA
Position(s): Forward
Olympic gold medal: 2
FIFA Women's World Cup: 1
National Soccer Hall of Fame
US Soccer Athlete of the Year: 6
FIFA World Player of the Year: 1
Abby Wambach is a retired American soccer player and, with 184 goals, the country's top-scorer. Abby is a double Olympic Gold medallist, and a FIFA Women's World Cup champion. She's won numerous other awards, besides.
It stands for: The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football.
Wambach won the CONCACAF Female Player of the Year in 2014. She earned the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award six times. Her goal-scoring record puts her second to Christine Sinclair in terms of international goal-scoring for men or women.
She retired in 2015, after representing her country for over a decade. She went out with a bang, helping her teams win the World Cup in her last year.
Alex Morgan
Born: July 2, 1989, USA
Position: striker
FIFA Women's World Cup: 2
Olympic gold medal: 1
U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year: 2
CONCACAF Female Player of the Year: 4
Alex Morgan played for the World Cup-winning sides in 2015 and 2019. She was also part of the 2012 American Olympic soccer team. She assisted in claiming the Gold Medal during the 2012 London Games. The US team further won the CONCACAF Women's Championship in 2014, 2018, and 2022.
Alex promotes women's soccer in the US, alongside other players. As her team's striker, she promotes soccer goalkeeper training. Morgan is a cultural icon due to her visibility on TV talk shows, magazines, brand endorsements, etc.
?Amandine Henry
Born: September 28, 1989, France
Position(s): midfielder (defence)
Première Ligue Champion: 13
UEFA Women's Champions League: 7
French Cup: 3
FIFA Women's World Cup Silver Ball: 1
Amandine Henry is a French soccer player from Lille. She was formerly the captain of the French national side and played for them until 2020. She was part of the same French national team that reached consecutive World Cup quarterfinals in 2015 and 2019.
Domestically, they play for Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, one of the most successful women's teams in Europe. With Lyon, Amandine won 13 league titles, 8 domestic cups, and 7 Champions League titles.
Birgit Prinz
Born: October 25, 1977, Germany
Position(s): striker
German Female Footballer of the Year: 8
Women's World Cup Champion: 2
FIFA Women's World Cup All-Star Team: 2
FIFA Women's World Cup Golden Ball: 1
FIFA World Player of the Year: 3
Birgit Prinz is a former German soccer player who won the World Cup twice and the FIFA World Player of the Year twice. Her career played out in the 1990s and 2000s. This makes her one of the early pioneers of international women's football since the first Women's World Cup was only held in 1991.
Birgit helped her team win the World Cup in 2003 and 2007; they came in second in 1995. She also won the UEFA European Championship with Germany in 1995, 1997, 2001, 2005, and 2009. Birgit retired in 2011, after nearly 2 decades of representing Germany in international soccer.
Christine Sinclair
Born: June 12, 1983, Canada
Position(s): Forward
National Women's Soccer League Champion: 3
Canada Soccer President's Award: 1
Pan American Games Golden Boot: 1
Christine Sinclair is Canada's top goal-scorer. She holds the record for the most international goals by any player, male or female. She broke Abby Wambach's record in January 2020.
With Canada, she won the CONCACAF Women's Championship in 2010. Christine then claimed the gold medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games that took place in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
?Homare Sawa
Born: September 6, 1978, Japan
Position(s): Midfielder
AFC Women's Footballer of the Year: 2
FIFA Women's World Cup Golden Ball
FIFA Women's World Cup All-Star Team
Women's World Cup Champion
Homare Sawa is considered one of the most successful women's soccer players of all time. Her career spanned two decades, across her native Japan and the US. Football fans hail her as one of the greatest of all time, and the best Asian female footballer ever. She retired in 2015, after 415 appearances and 159 goals.
Hope Solo
Born: July 30, 1981, USA
Position(s): Goalkeeper
CONCACAF Female Goalkeeper of the Year
USSF Female Athlete of the Year
FIFA Women's World Cup Bronze Ball
FIFA Women's World Cup All-Star Team: 2
FIFA FIFPro Women's World: 2
Women's World Cup Champion
Hope Solo is a retired American goalkeeper for the US national side. She was a member of the Olympic soccer team that won gold medals in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012. She also played on the team that won the Women's World Cup in Canada in 2015.
Julie Ertz
Born: April 6, 1992, USA
Position(s): Midfielder (defence)
USSF Female Athlete of the Year: 2
Women's World Cup Champion: 2
FIFA Women's World Cup All-Star Team: 2
FIFA FIFPro Women's World: 2
FIFA World Cup All-Star Team
This American soccer player was a member of the national team. Julie was on the team that triumphed in the World Cups in 2015 and 2019 (Canada and France). She helped bring her team to victory and snag the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games. She retired from international soccer in 2023.
Marta
Born: February 19, 1986, Brazil
Position(s): forward
Women's World Cup Golden Ball
FIFA Women's World Cup All-Star Team: 2
FIFA FIFPro Women's World: 3
The Best FIFA Women's Player
Marta Vieira da Silva - Marta, is the world's richest female soccer player. She's also one of the most influential and highly decorated. She was the first soccer player, male or female, to score at 5 different World Cups. Christine Sinclair and Cristiano Ronaldo achieved that feat, albeit much later.
Megan Rapinoe
Born: July 5, 1985, USA
Position(s): winger, midfielder
Women's World Cup Golden Ball: 1
Ballon D'or Féminin: 1
Best FIFA Women's Player
Women's World Cup Champion: 2
FIFA FIFPro Women's World: 2
FIFA Women's World Cup All-Star Team: 2
This American soccer player is famous for her actions on and off the pitch. Besides her many game accomplishments, she's renowned for her activism. Especially advocating for equal pay for the US Women's National Team (USWNT). She's also a massive supporter of getting young girls into soccer through greater support for soccer academies and clubs.
Mia Hamm
Born: March 17, 1972, USA
Position(s): forward, midfielder
USSF Female Athlete of the Year: 5
Women's World Cup Champion: 2
FIFA Women's World Cup All-Star Team
National Soccer Hall of Fame
This American soccer player is one of the earlier famous figures of American soccer. She played for the USWNT from 1987 to 2004. Mia triumphed in the World Cup with the US in 1991 and 1999, and earned two Olympic gold medals in 1996 and 2004. After retirement, she continued to advocate for women's sports and equality.
Sam Kerr
Born: September 10, 1993, Australia
Position(s): striker
Women's Super League Champion: 4
AFC Women's Footballer of the Year: 2
A-League Women Julie Dolan Award: 2
NWSL MVP: 2
This Australian soccer player is among the best in the world. She's also the highest-paid female soccer player right now. Her list of wins is impressive, including her multiple victories with Chelsea. We love Sam because she helped Australia win its first and only AFC Women's Cup in 2010.
Wendie Renard
Born: July 20, 1990, Martinique
Position(s): centre-back
Division 1 Féminine Champion: 6
Champion League Champion: 5
FIFA FIFPro Women's World: 5
Women's World Cup All-Star Team
Wendie Renard, earned multiple league titles, domestic cups, and the UEFA Women's Champions League. She's a strong defender and a danger at the other end, thanks to her powerful headers. On the pitch, she's famous for her size and strength
If you'd like to get into soccer, you'll find many opportunities to play. As the effects of the World Cup in Australia elevate the game in our country, every club prepares for the influx of coaching requests. Meanwhile, we end our exposé of great women players with this clip. It previews one of the pioneers of women's soccer.
Michelle Akers
USSF Female Athlete of the Year: 3
Women's World Cup Champion: 2
FIFA Women's World Cup All-Star Team
FIFA Women's World Cup Silver Ball
FIFA Women's World Cup Bronze Ball
As you can see from the clip above - and these stats, Michelle Akers helped launch the women's game. Her international playing career spanned two and a half decades. She retired in 2000 but continues to advocate for and support women's soccer.
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