Brazil's Marta tops most lists, and she has the numbers to back it: more than 16 Women's World Cup goals, the most in the tournament's history, and six FIFA Women's Player of the Year awards. Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach and Christine Sinclair are close behind.
Below are the ten players we'd put on any all-time list, then a comparison table and four names that could easily push their way in. Every cap count and title comes from FIFA, U.S. Soccer, Canada Soccer or the player's club, linked where it's used. Career totals are written as "more than" so the page stays accurate for the players who are still adding to them.
1. Marta (Brazil): why is she called the greatest?
Nobody has scored more at a Women's World Cup. FIFA reported that her penalty against Italy in 2019 was her record-setting 17th World Cup goal (FIFA, Dec. 2019), and the Orlando Pride's current player profile lists the six FIFA Women's Player of the Year awards and the 2007 World Cup, where she took both the Golden Ball and the Golden Boot.
She also became the first player to score at five World Cups, with a goal against Australia in June 2019. American fans know her from the NWSL: she captained Orlando to the 2024 Shield and Championship, wears No. 10 and is the club's all-time leader in goals and appearances, per the same profile. (If you like the stories behind shirt numbers, our guide to famous soccer player numbers covers the No. 10 in detail.)
2. Mia Hamm (USA): what did she win?
Two World Cups and two Olympic golds. U.S. Soccer's 2022 Hall of Fame release credits her with more than 270 national team appearances and more than 150 goals (U.S. Soccer, June 2022), World Cup titles in 1991 and 1999, Olympic gold in 1996 and 2004, and FIFA World Player of the Year in 2001 and 2002.
She was also on the 1999 team that turned women's soccer into a national event. A FIFA photo caption shows her in No. 9, scoring her penalty in the shootout of the 1999 final at the Rose Bowl.
3. Birgit Prinz (Germany): how dominant was she?
Dominant enough to win FIFA's top individual award three years running, 2003 to 2005. FIFA's player profile lists more than 210 caps and more than 125 goals for Germany, the most in the national team's history (FIFA, Sept. 2017), along with World Cup titles in 2003 and 2007. The same profile credits her with more than a dozen goals at World Cups, which FIFA ranked joint-second in tournament history when it published the page.
4. Abby Wambach (USA): what made her so hard to stop?
Her head, mostly. Her farewell match in New Orleans closed a U.S. career of more than 250 appearances, more than 180 goals and more than 70 assists (U.S. Soccer, Dec. 2015). She won the 2015 World Cup, Olympic gold in 2004 and 2012, and was FIFA World Player of the Year in 2012.
The National Soccer Hall of Fame notes that her two most famous goals were both headers. One came from a Kristine Lilly corner in 2004, the other from a long Megan Rapinoe cross in 2011. In the table further down, nobody on this list scores more often per game.
5. Christine Sinclair (Canada): who has the most international goals?
Sinclair does. Canada Soccer's player profile credits her with the world's all-time international scoring record and lists more than 185 goals in more than 330 appearances, plus Olympic gold at Tokyo 2021. She passed Wambach's total in January 2020, and the record-breaking goal came in Edinburg, Texas (Canada Soccer, Jan. 2020), during Olympic qualifying.
She spent most of her club career in American soccer too: two WPS titles, then three NWSL Championships with the Portland Thorns (2013, 2017 and 2022), all listed on the same Canada Soccer page.
6. Hope Solo (USA): why is a goalkeeper on this list?
Her totals in goal hold up next to anything the forwards on this list did. U.S. Soccer's career summary (Jan. 2018) counts more than 200 caps, more than 100 shutouts and more than 150 U.S. wins with her in goal. She won the 2015 World Cup, was in goal for two Olympic golds, and picked up the Golden Glove as the best goalkeeper at both the 2011 and 2015 World Cups.
Young keepers who want to work on the shot-stopping side of the game will find plenty in our goalie drills.
7. Homare Sawa (Japan): what happened in 2011?
We'd call it the best single year on this list. Sawa captained Japan to the 2011 World Cup, won the Golden Ball and the Golden Boot, and was named FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, according to FIFA (April 2018). In the final against the USA she scored in the 117th minute to force penalties, which Japan won.
Her career ran from 1995 to 2015 across six World Cups, with more than 200 caps and more than 80 goals for Japan, per the same FIFA profile.
8. Michelle Akers (USA): what was her role in the first World Cup?
She was its top scorer, by a distance. FIFA's profile says Akers scored the U.S. team's first official goal in 1985 and led the 1991 World Cup with ten goals in six matches (FIFA, Sept. 2017). She finished with more than 150 caps and more than 100 goals and shares the title of FIFA Female Player of the Century with China's Sun Wen. Eight years after that first title she won a second, with the 1999 team.
9. Christie Rampone (USA): how long did she play?
Twenty years at international level. FIFA marked her retirement in 2017 with a final tally of more than 310 caps, second only to Kristine Lilly among U.S. players (FIFA, March 2017). She won World Cups in 1999 and 2015, the only woman on both winning rosters. She also won three straight Olympic golds, and FIFA notes she wore the captain's armband for much of her U.S. career.
Defenders rarely get the headlines on lists like this one. Rampone's longevity puts her on it anyway, and if your kid plays at the back, our guide to soccer defense positions explains what each spot asks for.
10. Carli Lloyd (USA): why do people call her a big-game player?
Look at what she did in finals. FIFA's farewell piece credits her with the only hat-trick ever scored in a Women's World Cup final, in 2015 (FIFA, Oct. 2021). She also won the 2019 World Cup and Olympic gold in 2008 and 2012.
Her career got better as she got older. The same FIFA article counts more than 315 caps and more than 130 goals, and says that when she retired in 2021, no player in history had scored more goals after turning 30. Our explainer on what a hat-trick is has more on why three goals in one game still gets its own name.
How do these players compare on paper?
International records are the fairest way to line up players from different decades, because club leagues in women's soccer have folded and restarted several times since 1991. A cap is one appearance for your national team (our page on what a cap in soccer is explains the word). We added a rough goals-per-game figure, worked out from the official totals, because it shows something the raw totals hide.
| Player | Country | Caps | Int'l goals | Goals per game (approx.) | World Cups won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abby Wambach | USA | 250+ | 180+ | 0.7 | 2015 |
| Michelle Akers | USA | 150+ | 100+ | 0.7 | 1991, 1999 |
| Birgit Prinz | Germany | 210+ | 125+ | 0.6 | 2003, 2007 |
| Mia Hamm | USA | 270+ | 150+ | 0.6 | 1991, 1999 |
| Christine Sinclair | Canada | 330+ | 185+ | 0.6 | none |
| Carli Lloyd | USA | 315+ | 130+ | 0.4 | 2015, 2019 |
| Homare Sawa | Japan | 200+ | 80+ | 0.4 | 2011 |
| Christie Rampone | USA | 310+ | not listed | n/a | 1999, 2015 |
| Hope Solo (GK) | USA | 200+ | 100+ shutouts | n/a | 2015 |
"250+" means more than 250. Marta isn't in the table because we couldn't confirm her full Brazil totals from an official page for this update. Read the goals-per-game column with each player's job in mind. A player who sets up goals will post a lower figure than one who finishes them, and Lloyd and Sawa both won World Cups with numbers in the 0.4 range.
Who else could make the top 10?
Kristine Lilly, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and Alexia Putellas all have a real case.
- Kristine Lilly (USA) holds the world record for caps. U.S. Soccer lists more than 350 caps and more than 125 goals across five World Cups (U.S. Soccer, March 2026).
- Alex Morgan (USA) retired in 2024 with more than 220 caps and more than 120 goals, fifth in program history (San Diego Wave FC, Sept. 2024), and World Cup wins in 2015 and 2019.
- Megan Rapinoe (USA) finished with more than 200 caps, more than 60 goals and more than 70 assists (U.S. Soccer, Sept. 2023). Her 2019 brought the World Cup title, the Golden Ball and the Golden Boot.
- Alexia Putellas (Spain) became the first player to win the women's Ballon d'Or twice, in 2021 and 2022 (FC Barcelona, Oct. 2022).
Why does the USA have so many players on the list?
The USWNT has simply won more than anyone else. U.S. Soccer counts four World Cups (1991, 1999, 2015, 2019) and five Olympic golds (1996, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2024), four more golds than any other nation (U.S. Soccer, Aug. 2024). Long winning runs keep great players on the biggest stage for years, and that's how careers like Lilly's and Rampone's happen.
The 1999 home World Cup mattered too. FIFA records 90,185 fans at the Rose Bowl for the final on July 10, 1999, a world record for a women's sporting event at the time (FIFA), where the U.S. beat China 5-4 on penalties. Our history of soccer in the USA picks up the story from there.
FAQ
Who is the best female soccer player of all time?
Most lists start with Marta, who has scored more Women's World Cup goals than anyone and won six FIFA Women's Player of the Year awards. Mia Hamm is the usual pick among Americans.
Who has the most international goals in women's soccer?
Christine Sinclair of Canada, with more than 185, according to Canada Soccer. She passed Abby Wambach's total in January 2020.
Who has the most caps in women's soccer?
Kristine Lilly of the USA, with more than 350, which U.S. Soccer describes as the world record.
How many World Cups has the USWNT won?
Four: 1991, 1999, 2015 and 2019. The team has also won five Olympic gold medals, the latest in Paris in 2024.
So who's your number one?
Marta if you go by World Cup goals, Sinclair for the overall scoring record, Lilly for caps, Lloyd for finals. We'd love to know who your kid would put first. And if watching these players has them out in the yard practicing finishing, the Open Goaaal® 3-in-1 Soccer Goal Trainer sends missed shots back so the session doesn't stop for ball fetching. For more legends, read our list of the best soccer goalies of all time.
