Mia Hamm

Mia Hamm's 158 international goals remain the most iconic scoring mark in women's soccer history, a record she held for a decade before it was broken. In 1999, she led the United States to their second World Cup victory, scoring twice in the tournament and assisting the winning kick in the final against China, a match watched by 90,000 fans. Her two Olympic gold medals (1996, 2004) and consistent dominance over rivals like Nadia Comaneci's individual achievements in a team sport context underscore her impact. ESPN named her the greatest female athlete of the 20th century, a title no other soccer player has claimed. She was also the first woman to appear on an EA Sports FIFA video game cover, a milestone reached in 2000 that predates similar cover spots for players like Billie Jean King in tennis video games.