In 1991, China played host to the very first World Cup for women’s soccer. And in the twenty-nine and a half years since then, the sport has amassed a long and illustrious history. There is no denying that the absolute skill and domination shown by a few female football players throughout the years has not gone unnoticed. They have not stopped trying to push the envelope and shatter the notion that football is primarily a sport played by males. It has contributed to the empowerment of women and young girls all around the world. The following is a list that we have compiled of the top five female football players of all time.
Marta
With 82 goals in only 73 appearances for her country’s national team, the 28-year-old is one of the top players. She was the best player in the world for a considerable amount of time. She won five World Player of the Year honors in a row between the years 2006 and 2010. The term “women’s football” is almost synonymous with “Marta.” With 17 goals scored in the World Cup competition, Marta Vieira da Silva holds the record as the tournament’s all-time leading scorer, regardless of gender.
Mia Hamm
Mia Hamm no longer plays football, but her legacy remains strong in the women’s football community. From the early 1990s until the early 2000s, she was one of the most recognizable female football players. She was awarded the title of Fifa Women’s World Player of the Year in both 2001 and 2002, which were the award’s debut years. In addition, she won a gold medal in the Olympics while playing for the national team.
Michelle Akers
Michelle Akers, a former United States international who played for her country at the highest level, was named the FIFA Female Player of the Century. During her career, she earned 153 caps and scored 105 goals for the United States. She scored twice in the championship game of the inaugural Women’s World Cup in 1991. Akers played in 153 international matches and scored 105 goals before calling it quits at the age of 34.
Birgit Prinz
At the age of 17, she made history by being the youngest player to ever compete in a World Cup final. The record has not been broken yet. Birgit Prinz was a three-time winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year award. She played for the German national team a whopping 214 times during the course of her career. She was considered to be one of the most dependable and skilled female football players.
Homare Sawa
Homare Sawa is an offensive midfielder who made her first appearance in a senior game when she was only 12 years old in 1991. Additionally, Sawa has been active on the world stage from age 15, including a period of time spent competing in the United States.
This concludes our list of the top five female football players of all time. Who is your favorite among these?