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The sheer brilliance and dominance of some female footballers over the decades has clearly not gone unnoticed.They have continued to push the limit and break the stereotype that football is a men's sport which has helped to empower women and young girls across the globe.
The inevitable debate persisting in the world of football at its greatest of all time, popularly acronymed as the GOAT, has not been far away from the women's category as well.
In subsequent headings, we will be narrowing down a list of the 5 greatest female footballers of all time.
#5 Homare Sawa (Japanese female footballer)
Asian Women's football cannot be mentioned without the involvement of Homare Sawa, Japan's stalwart female footballer.
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The attacking midfielder made her senior debut at the tender age of 12 in 1991. She led Japan to their first and only World Cup title in 2011 which also doubles as Japan being the only Asian country to win a World Cup title.
Sawa did not stop there, she helped her country qualify for their first Olympic finals in the subsequent year in 2012, where they won the silver medal.
Three years later, she and her teammates made the finals again at the World Cup but got the runners up medal this time around.
She and Brazil's Formiga were once tied for most appearances, male or female, at the World Cup in 2015. Formiga broke the tie in the 2019 version.
Sawa also enjoyed individual success as she won multiple awards, including the FIFA World Player of the Year, Golden Ball and Golden Shoe. She scored 83 goals in 205 appearances for Japan.
#4 Abby Wambach (American female footballer)
The American, whose diving headers made her distinct, takes our No. 4 spot. With 184 goals, Abby was the all-time top goal scorer in international football, male and female footballer, until Canada's Christine Sinclair surpassed her tally in January 2020.
Wambach is a six-time recipient of the U.S. Soccer Player of the Year, which still stands as a record.
Wambach took pleasure in Olympic glories at the 2004 Athens and 2012 London Olympic Games where she was part of the gold medal winning teams. Her crucial last-minute header saw the US beat Brazil at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
She was part of the USWNT team that clinched the World Cup title in 2015 which was her last international competition. The American won the FIFA Women's Player of the Year award in 2012. She is joint-second on the list of the most goals scored in the FIFA Women's World Cup with 14, a record she shares along with the next player on the list.
#3 Birgit Prinz (German female footballer)
Birgit Prinz is the joint-second female footballer on the list of most goals scored (14) in the FIFA World Cup.
Looking at her goal tally, one can easily make out that she is a striker; but not just any striker, a prolific one for that matter. Brigit scored 128 goals in 214 appearances for Germany.
At 17, she became the youngest player to play in a World Cup final. The record remains untouched.
Birgit won four UEFA Women's European Championships, two consecutive World Cup titles (2003 and 2007) and many Olympic bronzes from the Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Games.
She is a three-time recipient of the 'FIFA Women's Player of the Year' award. She is the current sports psychologist for both the male and female TSG 1889 Hoffenheim team.
#2 Mia Hamm (American female footballer)
Mia Hamm, who once played as the only female footballer on the boy's team at Junior high school, was the face of women's football from the early 90's to the early 2000's.
She is renowned for her quickness, accurate shooting and wonderful passes. At the age of 19, she was a member of the US team that won the FIFA Women's World Cup. She later went on to win the title again in 1999, eight years after winning the maiden edition.
Mia had her fair share of Olympic medals, winning two golds from the Atlanta 1996 and the Athens 2004 Olympics.
Hamm has 276 caps and 158 goals. She was voted FIFA Women's Player of the Year in 2001 and 2002. She was also awarded the 'ESPY' for 'Female Athlete of the Year' in 1998 and 1999. She was one of two women named by Pele to 'FIFA's Best 125 players' in 2004 and the first woman to be inducted into the 'World Football Hall of Fame.'
#1 Marta (Brazilian female footballer)
The name Marta is synonymous with Women's football. Nicknamed 'Pele with Skirts', Marta is a sporting icon whose hard work and dedication on the pitch have translated into record-breaking feats that will leave an indellible mark on her legacy.
Marta Vieira da Silva is the all-time top scorer, male or female, at the World Cup with 17 goals.
The 35-year-old is eminent in her flair, speed, dribbling skills and goal scoring ability. She is the type of player who dominates the field. She is the first player to score in five straight Olympics and World Cup.
Marta has been named 'FIFA Female World Player of the Year' five consecutive times. The Brazilian has won it all but the only thing missing from her trophy cabinet is an international title.
She was part of the Brazilian squad who finished as runners-up at the 2007 World Cup and collected back-to-back silver medals at the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Olympics.
