Here are our picks for the top 10 most memorable moments in FIFA Women’s World Cup history
Since its inception in 1991, there have been countless moments and players that exemplify the excitement the tournament brings every four years.
When the FIFA Women’s World Cup kicks off July 20, it will be just the eighth edition. However, since its inception in 1991, countless moments and players have exemplified the excitement this tournament brings every four years.
Many of those major moments coincide with the United States’ dominance of the Women’s World Cup since winning the first one in China — fueled by a 10-goal outburst from midfielder Michelle Akers-Stahl.
As the defending champion, the U.S. will be seeking its fifth title when it kicks off on July 21 against Vietnam (9 p.m., Fox29). The Americans won in 1991, 1999, 2015, and 2019.
Here’s our breakdown of the 10 best moments in Women’s World Cup history.
10. Michelle Akers-Stahl puts the world on notice
Fueled by Akers-Stahl, the Americans captured the inaugural tournament after a 2-1 win against Norway in front of more than 60,000 people inside Tianhe Stadium in Guangzhou, China. Akers-Stahl is unforgettable for not only her size (5-foot-10) and big curls but for her 10-goal effort that landed her FIFA’s Golden Boot award, given to the top scorer in the tournament.
9. China’s Sun Wen. Remember the name.
With all the talk of American stars like Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, and Brandi Chastain, Sun Wen, the formidable forward from China, was a thorn in the side of opponents during the 1999 Women’s World Cup in the United States. The Chinese went undefeated in group play, with Wen scoring seven goals en route to taking a share of the Golden Boot and being named the best player of the tournament. But she’s most known for her tireless work in bringing China to the brink of the title if not for a 5-4 win in penalties by the United States.
8. Solo gives hope to U.S.’ 2015 run
She was arguably the most talked-about player of the tournament and the catalyst for the U.S. run to the title in 2015. Goalkeeper Hope Solo was a wall, posting five clean sheets and allowing just three goals the entire tournament. One of her greatest saves came from not even needing to register one with the Jedi Mind Tricks she played on a German penalty kick taker in the semifinal match. Basically, Solo psyched out Célia Šašić, causing her to shoot wide.
7. Dominance of ‘Die Nationalelf’
Speaking of the German national team, that was the name given to the women’s squad, which means “The National 11,” one that held court in the FIFA world rankings in the early to mid-2000s but more important in the tournament as well, winning back-to-back trophies in 2003 and 2007.
6. Mia’s World
If you were a devout soccer fan or player during the late 1990s to early 2000s, soccer on the national stage was spearheaded by the efforts of Mia Hamm. Hamm was a mainstay leading up to the 1999 Women’s World Cup in the United States and put her stamp on the tournament just 17 minutes into the Americans’ opening-round match against Denmark with a ridiculous volley in the box in front of nearly 79,000 people at Giants Stadium and worldwide media coverage.
5. Brandi Chastain nets 1999 World Cup for U.S.
While this might be the No. 1 moment in Women’s World Cup history for the memorable image of Chastain in her sports bra, it’s on our list for what Chastain did a moment earlier, scoring the game-winning penalty after a grueling 120 minutes of soccer against China in the California heat. With penalties at four apiece, Chastain stepped up, took a deep breath, and scored the goal that would make the U.S. the first nation to win the trophy on home soil.
4. Marta, Marta, Marta.
She’s one of the best to ever play the game, and since her start, Brazil’s Marta has been a consummate ambassador for growing the women’s game both on and off the field. On the field, Marta has been a mainstay on the national team since 2007, leading the Brazilians as their all-time leading scorer to the knockout stages every year. In her first, she led Brazil to the brink of a World Cup crown before losing to the Germans in the final.
3. Alex Morgan’s tea party
Now this was cold-blooded. There was no love lost between the United States and England in the 2019 Women’s World Cup, and with the game tied at 1 in the first half, Morgan made it 2-1 in favor of the U.S., finishing with a perfectly timed header in the 31st minute. Her celebration? Taking a sip of imaginary tea, a clear message sent to the Brits. Her goal? The eventual game winner.
2. Megan Rapinoe steals the show in 2019
If the 1999 World Cup belonged to Mia Hamm, 20 years later Megan Rapinoe made sure the U.S. would have another player the world had to watch. Rapinoe starred for the cast that captured the United States’ record fourth World Cup title behind a tournament-leading six goals (teammate Alex Morgan and England’s Ellen White also had six) in addition to being the named the tournament’s best player.
1. Carli Lloyd’s midfield goal, hat trick in 2015 final
We have to give the No. 1 moment to the hometown favorite. But for as much as there’s a bit of hometown bias, when you see the goal the Delran native scored against Japan in the 2015 Women’s World Cup final, one of her three in a hat-trick performance that secured the U.S. its third trophy, you’ll get it. Only a handful of players, both men and women, have done this, and Lloyd will always be remembered as one of them.
Your subscription powers our newsroom and journalism like this. Support our work by visiting inquirer.com/supportsports and receive unlimited access to Inquirer.com, The Inquirer App, and e-Edition at a special price: $1 for three months.