Mia Hamm takes a penalty kick during the first round of the 2003 Women’s World Cup THE BEST SCORERS EVER With only a few minutes left in the game the score is tied 2 2 Mia Hamm gets possession of the ball She dribbles past one defender Then she gets past another The only thing between her and the winning score is the goalkeeper Hamm fakes to the left and then blasts a shot to the top right corner Goal 4
FACTS AT A GLANCE mia hamm won the first two fifa women's world player of the year awards abby wambach broke mia hamm's record for international goals scored in a career in 2013 wambach's record was broken in 2020 lionel messi pictured below holds the world record for most goals scored in a year with 91 pelé was signed to his first professional contract at 15 Soccer is the most popular sport in the world In most places outside of the United States it is known as football Many countries have their own professional club leagues Most also have national teams for both men and women These national teams play in competitions and tournaments that involve other teams from around the world With so many good teams and players it’s hard to tell who the greatest of all time g.o.a.t. are But that’s why it’s so much fun for fans to debate their lists of top players Every fan has an opinion on the g.o.a.t. 5
Soccer has been around for a long time Some types of the game are nearly 2,000 years old The modern rules started in the 1800s By the 1900s fans all around the world loved the sport Abbey Wambach has her eye on another US goal in a game against the Scotland Women’s National Team Wambach is one of the top scorers in soccer history 6
Pelé center chases after a ball in a match against Bulgaria in 1970 The legend would go on to lead Brazil to the 1970 World Cup title Forwards usually play close to the other team’s goal Teams usually have two or three forwards on the field during a game A striker is a type of forward Strikers play in the middle and often score the most goals on the team Forwards called wings or wingers play on the sides Many of the most popular soccer players in the world are strikers But all types of forwards are important for a team’s success 7
