Homare Sawa

Homare Sawa won the 2011 FIFA World Player of the Year and Golden Ball after scoring the dramatic equalizer in the 2011 World Cup final, a moment that cemented Japan’s stunning victory. With 83 international goals in 205 caps across six World Cups, she maintained a scoring rate of 0.40 per match—0.17 lower than #5 Christine Sinclair but achieved while captaining an underdog team. Sawa’s 2011 performance, where she tallied 5 goals and 1 assist, remains the most decorated individual campaign in Asian women’s football history.