Profile
Abby
Wambach
- Position Forward
- Date of Birth Jun 02 1980
- Hometown Rochester, NY
- Height 5'11"
- Club Retired
Stories
THE UNDENIABLE G.O.A.T.
Debuting for Team USA in 2001, the world got its first shot at witnessing Abby Wambach in action—soccer’s future all-time leading international goal scorer, man or woman.
a leader of legends
Wambach’s rise to the top of the game didn’t take long. Just three years into her WNT career, she enjoyed one of the greatest years in U.S. Women’s National Team history, scoring 31 goals in the final 30 matches of the year. With the second highest total in a calendar year by a U.S. player, Wambach became one of only five players to score 20 or more goals in a year, joining Mia Hamm, Michelle Akers, Kristine Lilly and Tiffeny Milbrett.
In 2013, Wambach broke Mia Hamm’s world-scoring record—a fellow FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year and all-around soccer legend—during her insane four-goal performance against the Korea Republic, where she also became the USA’s all-time leader in multiple-goal games with 43. Heading into the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup year, she already had 35 two-goal games, five hat tricks, two four-goal games and one five-goal game.
The beauty of Abby has always been her incredible passion.Julie Foudy, WNT Legend
2011: WAMBACH'S IGNITED PLAY
Imagine: it’s the 122nd minute, the dying seconds of the World Cup quarterfinals against Brazil—a formidable rival who shut out the USA four years earlier. Carli Lloyd shot off from the backfield to Megan Rapinoe, who was forced to cross from way out with her non-dominant left foot to the goal—where none other than Wambach leapt up high, connected and buried the ball in the net with a header.
Her jaw-dropping play marked the latest goal in the history of the World Cup (men’s or women’s) and earned her FIFA’s fan-voted Greatest Women’s World Cup Goal in 2011. For her eight goals and four assists in 2011 alone, she won her fifth U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year award and the prestigious Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year award (the first soccer player to ever win it).
ON TOP OF THE WORLD
After years of being a finalist, Wambach finally earned top honors as FIFA Women's World Player of the Year in 2012. Naturally, it was one of the best years of her brilliant career. One where she pounded in 27 goals with eight assists, as well as set a U.S. and Olympic record by scoring in the first five matches of the 2012 Olympics. Whether her goals sparked a comeback or were tallied as clutch penalties, Wambach's presence in all but 13 minutes of the tournament was pivotal in the team's win of their second Olympic gold medal.
A MAGICAL 2015, THE END OF AN ERA
The five-time U.S. Soccer Player of the Year would rise to even more epic heights during the 2015 WWC, where her play transcended sport and was recognized by the world's biggest fans—including celebrities and President Barack Obama, who congratulated Wambach's phenomenal career with a tweet: "Congrats on a great career, Abby Wambach. For the goals you've scored and the kids you've inspired, you're the G.O.A.T.!"
One of the most dangerous goal scorers on the planet, Wambach's historic 15-year career saw her lead the USWNT all the way to the top of the world as 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup champions. Retiring at the top of her game, the owner of the best goals-per-game ratio in U.S. history scored a total of 184 goals in just 255 games—a legacy that would forever leave an indelible mark for her legendary play.
a leader of legends
Wambach’s rise to the top of the game didn’t take long. Just three years into her WNT career, she enjoyed one of the greatest years in U.S. Women’s National Team history, scoring 31 goals in the final 30 matches of the year. With the second highest total in a calendar year by a U.S. player, Wambach became one of only five players to score 20 or more goals in a year, joining Mia Hamm, Michelle Akers, Kristine Lilly and Tiffeny Milbrett.
In 2013, Wambach broke Mia Hamm’s world-scoring record—a fellow FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year and all-around soccer legend—during her insane four-goal performance against the Korea Republic, where she also became the USA’s all-time leader in multiple-goal games with 43. Heading into the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup year, she already had 35 two-goal games, five hat tricks, two four-goal games and one five-goal game.
2011: WAMBACH'S IGNITED PLAY
Imagine: it’s the 122nd minute, the dying seconds of the World Cup quarterfinals against Brazil—a formidable rival who shut out the USA four years earlier. Carli Lloyd shot off from the backfield to Megan Rapinoe, who was forced to cross from way out with her non-dominant left foot to the goal—where none other than Wambach leapt up high, connected and buried the ball in the net with a header.
Her jaw-dropping play marked the latest goal in the history of the World Cup (men’s or women’s) and earned her FIFA’s fan-voted Greatest Women’s World Cup Goal in 2011. For her eight goals and four assists in 2011 alone, she won her fifth U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year award and the prestigious Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year award (the first soccer player to ever win it).
ON TOP OF THE WORLD
After years of being a finalist, Wambach finally earned top honors as FIFA Women's World Player of the Year in 2012. Naturally, it was one of the best years of her brilliant career. One where she pounded in 27 goals with eight assists, as well as set a U.S. and Olympic record by scoring in the first five matches of the 2012 Olympics. Whether her goals sparked a comeback or were tallied as clutch penalties, Wambach's presence in all but 13 minutes of the tournament was pivotal in the team's win of their second Olympic gold medal.
A MAGICAL 2015, THE END OF AN ERA
The five-time U.S. Soccer Player of the Year would rise to even more epic heights during the 2015 WWC, where her play transcended sport and was recognized by the world's biggest fans—including celebrities and President Barack Obama, who congratulated Wambach's phenomenal career with a tweet: "Congrats on a great career, Abby Wambach. For the goals you've scored and the kids you've inspired, you're the G.O.A.T.!"
One of the most dangerous goal scorers on the planet, Wambach's historic 15-year career saw her lead the USWNT all the way to the top of the world as 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup champions. Retiring at the top of her game, the owner of the best goals-per-game ratio in U.S. history scored a total of 184 goals in just 255 games—a legacy that would forever leave an indelible mark for her legendary play.
The beauty of Abby has always been her incredible passion.Julie Foudy, WNT Legend
