5 Greatest Women Soccer Players of All Time

Football and soccer are no longer male-dominated sports. Women now work at all levels of the mentioned sports—they are not just players.

But, of course, women soccer players are at the frontline. 

Here are the names of women’s soccer GOATs.

5) Nadine Angerer

Angerer is the goalkeeper of the German national team. She holds the record for being the first goalkee[er who won the FIFA Player of the Year award.

In 2007, the team the World Cup in 540 minutes after Angerer shut out the opponent. 

In 2013, the German also helped the team to win European championship titles. One goal slipped past her, but she was able to save to penalty kicks during the finals game against Norway.

An elite player even on her last match appearance, Angerer earned a spot in the World Cup all-star team in 2015.

4) Abby Wambach

Wambach is an all-time career international goals leading scorer with 184. She made sure to put her height—she stands at nearly 6 feet—to good use, in addition to her strength and aggression in the field.

These traits help her and her team win the 2004 Olympics gold medal and again in 2012. In that same year, she was named as the Player of the Year. 

The team’s 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup win was honoured with a Ticker tape parade, the first women’s sports team to ever do so.

3) Michelle Akers

Akers is famous for her superhuman abilities, making her the backbone of the US team from the mid-1980s to early 2000s. 

She scored a record of 10 goals in the 1991 World Cup, leading the US team to a victory. It was the inaugural FIFA game for women wherein Akers scored two goals against Norway’s one. 

She also led the team on its 1996 Olympics and 1999 World Cup wins. 

Akers had a total of 153 international games with 105 goals. 

2) Mia Hamm

Hamm was the face of women’s soccer during the 1990s. Her popularity, as well as that of the game, skyrocket in 1999 when the team won the Wolrd Cup. This alone changed the perspective of the people about soccer as a niche sport.

The American footballer is known for her on-field dominance in terms of ball control, speed, and vision. She holds the record with her 158 career internal goals (third) and 144 assists.

Hamm has two FIFA Player of the Year awards under her belt. She was named in Pele’s list of greatest living soccer/football players in 2004. The other woman on the list is Michele Akers, a fellow American.

1) Marta

Marta is one of the prominent names in the world of soccer. She raised the bar in terms of athleticism in the field. The Brazilian superstar won the FIFA Player of the Year award in five consecutive years. 

However, it was in 2007 that she changed the international soccer landscape with her seven World Cup goals. Unfortunately, she hasn’t won anything individually in either the World Cup or Olympics.

Marta proved her agility and endurance, however, when she won her sixth Best Player award from FIFA in 2018.

In 2019, she beat her own record to increase her total to 17 World Cup goals.

Featured Image Source

If you were to choose, who would be your women’s soccer GOAT? Let us know.