Mia Hamm

Mia Hamm
Hamm playing for United States in 1995
Personal information
Full name Mariel Margaret Hamm[1]
Date of birth (1972-03-17) March 17, 1972 (age 52)
Place of birth Selma, Alabama, U.S.
Height 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Position(s) Forward, midfielder
Youth career
1988 Braddock Road Shooting Stars
1989 Lake Braddock Bruins
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1989–1993 North Carolina Tar Heels 95 (103)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2001–2003 Washington Freedom 49 (25)
International career‡
1987–2004 United States 276 (158)
Medal record
Women's soccer
Representing  United States
FIFA Women's World Cup
Winner 1991 China
Winner 1999 United States
Bronze medal – third place 1995 Sweden
Bronze medal – third place 2003 United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1996 Atlanta Team
Gold medal – first place 2004 Athens Team
Silver medal – second place 2000 Sydney Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of June 28, 2007
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of June 29, 2007

Mariel Margaret "Mia" Hamm (born March 17, 1972) is an American former professional soccer player, two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion. Hailed as a soccer icon,[2][3][4][5][6] 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.

Hamm competed in four FIFA Women's World Cups: the inaugural 1991 tournament in China, 1995 in Sweden, 1999 and 2003 in the United States. She led the team at three Olympic Games — 1996 in Atlanta (the first time women's soccer was played), 2000 in Sydney, and 2004 in Athens. At these seven international tournaments she played in 42 matches and scored 14 goals.

Hamm held the record for most international goals scored until 2013 and remains in third place as of 2023.[7][8][9] She ranks fourth in the history of the U.S. team for international caps (276) and first for career assists (144).[10] Hamm was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 2001 and 2002. She was chosen by Pelé as one of FIFA's 125 greatest living players in the FIFA 100, to celebrate the organization's 100th anniversary.[11] Hamm was named U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year five years in a row, and won three ESPY awards including Soccer Player of the Year and Female Athlete of the Year.[12] The Women's Sports Foundation named her Sportswoman of the Year in 1997 and 1999. She was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame, Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, Texas Sports Hall of Fame, North Carolina Soccer Hall of Fame, and was the first woman inducted into the World Football Hall of Fame.[10]

A co-owner of Los Angeles FC and Angel City FC,[13] Hamm is also a global ambassador for FC Barcelona and is on the board of directors of Serie A club A.S. Roma. Author of Go For the Goal: A Champion's Guide to Winning in Soccer and Life, Hamm has been featured in several films and television shows, including the HBO documentary, Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team.

  1. ^ "Mia Hamm". Women's United Soccer Association. Archived from the original on August 11, 2003. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  2. ^ "Best American Soccer Players of All Time (Men and Women)". Soccer Mavericks. December 21, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  3. ^ Foudy, Julie (June 22, 2012). "The essence of Mia". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  4. ^ Quashie, Sid (November 30, 2016). "Whatever Happened To ... ? '90s Sports Icons Edition". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  5. ^ Nelson, Murry R. (2013). American Sports: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-0313397530.
  6. ^ Hilton, Lisette. "No Me in Mia". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on July 30, 2017. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  7. ^ "Christine Sinclair passes Mia Hamm as 2nd highest goal-scorer in history". Fox Sports. February 15, 2016. Archived from the original on June 11, 2022. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  8. ^ "Soccer mom returns: Mia Hamm gets Freedom honor". ESPN.com. Associated Press. May 1, 2009. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  9. ^ Alexander, Valerie (July 7, 2014). "World Cup Soccer Stats Erase The Sport's Most Dominant Players: Women". Jezebel. Archived from the original on September 21, 2016. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
  10. ^ a b "Mia Hamm". MAC Hermann Trophy. Retrieved June 2, 2017.
  11. ^ Millward, Robert (March 4, 2007). "Pele's list of soccer's best includes Hamm, Akers". USA Today. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
  12. ^ "All-Time ESPY Winners". ESPN. June 24, 2010. Archived from the original on June 26, 2015. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
  13. ^ "Mia Hamm". Angel City FC. Archived from the original on March 2, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2023.