Mariel Margaret "Mia" Hamm is an American former professional football player, two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion. Hailed as a football icon, she played as a forward for the United States national team from 1987 to 2004. Hamm was the face of the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), the first professional women's soccer league in the United States, where she played for the Washington Freedom from 2001 to 2003. She played college soccer for the North Carolina Tar Heels and helped the team win four NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship titles.
Tiffeny Carleen Milbrett is an American former professional soccer forward who was a longtime member of the United States women's national team. In May 2018 the National Soccer Hall of Fame announced Milbrett will be enshrined in the Hall. A native of Oregon, she starred at the University of Portland where she scored a then school record 103 goals during her career. She won an Olympic gold medal in 1996 in Atlanta and a silver medal at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. She also played in three World Cups, winning in 1999. She is in the top five all-time in the United States national soccer team in three offensive categories.
The FIFA Women's World Cup is an international association football competition contested by the senior women's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport's international governing body. The competition has been held every four years and one year after the men's FIFA World Cup since 1991, when the inaugural tournament, then called the FIFA Women's World Championship, was held in China. Under the tournament's current format, national teams vie for the remaining 31 slots in a three-year qualification phase. The host nation's team is automatically entered as the first slot. The tournament, called the World Cup Finals, is contested at venues within the host nation(s) over about one month.
Kristine Marie Lilly Heavey is an American former professional soccer player. She was a member of the United States women's national team for 23 years and is the most-capped football player in the history of the sport, gaining her 354th and final cap against Mexico in a World Cup qualifier in November 2010. Lilly scored 130 international goals for the US national team, making her the team's third-highest goal scorer behind Mia Hamm's 158 goals, and Abby Wambach's 184.
Sun Wen is a Chinese former professional footballer who played as a forward. She previously captained the China national team and the Atlanta Beat of the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA).
Birgit Prinz is a German former footballer, two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion and three-time FIFA World Player of the Year. In addition to the German national team, Prinz played for 1. FFC Frankfurt in the Frauen-Bundesliga as well as the Carolina Courage in the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), the first professional women's league in the United States. Prinz remains one of the game's most prolific strikers and is the second FIFA Women's World Cup all-time leading scorer with 14 goals. In 2011, she announced the end of her active career. She currently works as a sport psychologist for the men's and women's teams of Bundesliga club TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
The Nigeria women's national football team, nicknamed the Super Falcons, represents Nigeria in international women's football and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). The team is Africa's most successful international women's football team, having won a record eleven Women's Africa Cup of Nations titles; their most recent title in 2018, after defeating South Africa in the final. The team is also the only women's national team from the Confederation of African Football to have reached the quarterfinals in both the FIFA Women's World Cup and the Summer Olympics.
Heidi Mohr was a German footballer who played as a forward. She was renowned for her speed and her ability to shoot with both feet. In 1999 she was voted Europe's Footballer of the Century.
Onome Ebi is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Nigerian club Abia Angels and the Nigeria women's national team. In 2023 she became the first African footballer, male or female, to play in 6 FIFA World Cup tournaments.
Ugochi Desire Oparanozie is a former Nigerian footballer who played as a forward in the Chinese Women's Super League for Wuhan Jianghan University and the Nigerian national team.
Ngozi Ebere is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a defender for Norwegian club Arna-Bjørnar, and the Nigeria women's national team. She was a member of the Rivers Angels who won the Nigerian domestic double in 2014, and the Nigerian national women's team who won the 2014 African Women's Championship.
Bonny Madsen is a Danish former football defender, who was part of the Denmark women's national football team. She competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics, playing three matches. At club level she played for Malmö in Sweden, as well as Lugo, Pisa and ACF Milan in Italy.
Nkiru Doris "NK" Okosieme is a former captain of the Nigeria women's national football team who played as a midfielder.
Rachael Aladi Ayegba is a former Nigerian women's international footballer who played as a goalkeeper. At club level, she played for multiple Finnish clubs between 2005 and 2016. Ayegba is now a bus driver in London.
Memunatu Sulemana is a Ghanaian former footballer who played as a goalkeeper. She has been a member of the Ghana women's national team.
Diana Esther Nwaiwu is a Nigerian former footballer who played as a goalkeeper for the Nigeria women's national football team. She was part of the team at the inaugural 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup as well as the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup. At the club level, she played for Kakanfo Babes in Nigeria.
Lydia Koyonda is a former football goalkeeper who played for the Nigeria women's national football team. She was part of the team at the inaugural 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup. At the club level, she played for Ufuoma Babes in Nigeria.
Edith Eluma is a Nigerian former footballer who played as a defender for the Nigeria women's national football team. She was part of the team at the first FIFA Women's World Cup held in 1991. At the club level, she played for Princess Jegede in Nigeria.
Rachael Yamala is a former football midfielder for the Nigeria women's national football team. She was part of the team at the inaugural 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup. At the club level she played for Kakanfo Babes in Nigeria.
The Germany women's national football team has represented Germany at the FIFA Women's World Cup on nine occasions in 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023. They have won the title twice and were runners-up once. They also reached the fourth place in 1991 and in 2015.
