Mariel Margaret Hamm-Garciaparra is an American retired professional soccer player, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion. Hailed as a soccer icon, she played as a forward for the United States women's national soccer 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 women's soccer team and helped the team win four consecutive NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship titles.
Tiffeny Carleen Milbrett is an American retired professional soccer forward who was a longtime member of the United States women's national soccer 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 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 23 slots in a three-year qualification phase. The host nation's team is automatically entered as the 24th slot. The tournament proper, alternatively called the World Cup Finals, is contested at venues within the host nation(s) over a period of about one month.
The 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup was the third edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup, the world championship for women's national association football teams. It was hosted as well as won by the United States and took place from June 19 to July 10, 1999, at eight venues across the country. The tournament was the most successful FIFA Women's World Cup in terms of attendance, television ratings, and public interest.
Birgit Prinz is a German retired 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. On 12 August 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 1. Bundesliga club TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
The United States women's national soccer team (USWNT) represents the United States in international women's soccer. The team is the most successful in international women's soccer, winning four Women's World Cup titles, four Olympic gold medals, and eight CONCACAF Gold Cups. It medaled in every World Cup and Olympic tournament in women's soccer from 1991 to 2015, before being knocked out in the quarterfinal of the 2016 Summer Olympics. The team is governed by United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF.
The Canada women's national soccer team is overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and competes in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF).
Kelly Jayne Smith, MBE is an English former football forward who spent three spells with FA WSL club Arsenal Ladies. After moving to the United States, Smith broke records with Seton Hall University then played professionally with Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) franchise Philadelphia Charge. After returning to Arsenal for a period which included a 2007 UEFA Women's Cup win, Smith was tempted back to America with another professional contract, this time with Boston Breakers in Women's Professional Soccer (WPS). She accumulated 117 caps for the England women's national football team since making her debut in 1995. Despite being hit by serious injury during her career, Smith is England's record goalscorer with 46 goals. She played for Great Britain at the 2012 London Olympics.
Malin Sofi Moström is a Swedish former football midfielder, from 2001 to 2006 she was the captain of the Sweden women's national football team. Nicknamed Mosan, she retired in December 2006 in order to focus on her family and new career as a property agent.
The CONCACAF W Championship is a football competition organized by CONCACAF that often serves as the qualifying competition to the Women's World Cup. In years when the tournament has been held outside the World Cup qualifying cycle, non-CONCACAF members have been invited. CONCACAF is the governing body for football for North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The most successful country has been the United States, winning their eighth title in 2018.
Alexandra Virina Scott is an English television presenter, pundit, and former professional footballer who mostly played as a right-back for Arsenal W.F.C. in the FA WSL. She made 140 appearances for the England women's national football team and represented Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Homare Sawa is a former Japanese professional women's football player. She captained the Japan national team to 2011 World Cup title and the silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. In 2012, she was named the 2011 FIFA Women's World Player of the Year. She previously played for the Atlanta Beat of the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), Nippon TV Beleza, the Washington Freedom of Women's Professional Soccer (WPS), and INAC Kobe Leonessa in the Nadeshiko League Division 1.
Rebecca Katie Smith is an international footballer who has transitioned to a global executive in sports and business.
Melissa Palma Julie Tancredi is a Canadian retired soccer forward who played for the Canada women's national soccer team. She won an Olympic bronze medal as a participating member of Canada's national team at the 2012 Olympics when Canada defeated France 1–0 in the bronze medal match on August 9, 2012. Tancredi's nickname is "Tanc".
Soccer is not traditionally a major mainstream sport in Canada, but the sport is growing especially in places like Nova Scotia. Up to 85,000 girls participate in soccer, which is 41% of all youth in the country. The 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup was hosted in Canada.
Geraldine "Geri" Donnelly is a Canadian former soccer player. A midfielder, she represented Canada at the 1995 and 1999 editions of the FIFA Women's World Cup and was named Canadian Player of the Year in 1996 and 1999. Donnelly was part of the Canadian squad who won the 1998 CONCACAF Women's Championship. She was selected as a member of the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame in 2014.
At the end of each FIFA Women's World Cup final tournament, several awards are presented to the players and teams which have distinguished themselves in various aspects of the game.
Suzanne Muir is a Canadian footballer who played as a defender for the Canada women's national soccer team. She was part of the team at the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup and 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Janine Helland is a Canadian footballer who played as a defender for the Canada women's national soccer team. She was part of the teams at the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup and 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Joan McEachern is a Canadian footballer who played as a midfielder for the Canada women's national soccer team. She was part of the team at the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup.
