Background and career
Mariel Margaret "Mia" Hamm (born March 17, 1972) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a forward and midfielder for the United States national team from 1987 to 2004. She competed in four editions of the FIFA Women's World Cup, winning in 1991 and 1999. She won gold at the Olympic Games in 1996 and 2004, and won silver in 2000. She was a founding player of the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA)—the first U.S. professional women's soccer league—where she played for the Washington Freedom from 2001 to 2003. She played college soccer for the North Carolina Tar Heels, helping the team win four NCAA Division I Championship titles. Hailed as a soccer icon, she is widely considered one of the best and most influential female players of all time. As of March 2026, Hamm ranks third on the list of most international goals scored, by players of any gender. She ranks fourth in U.S. national team appearances (276) and first in international assists (144). She was twice named FIFA World Player of the Year, was named U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year five years in a row, and won six ESPY awards, including Best Soccer Player, Best Female Soccer Player and Female Athlete of the Year. The Women's Sports Foundation named her Sportswoman of the Year in 1997 and 1999. Hamm was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame, Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, Texas Sports Hall of Fame, and North Carolina Soccer Hall of Fame, and was the first woman inducted into the World Football Hall of Fame. In 2004, Hamm was chosen by Pelé as one of the 125 greatest living players. Hamm is a co-owner of the professional soccer clubs Los Angeles FC and Angel City FC. She is a global ambassador for FC Barcelona and was on the board of directors of the Italian Serie A soccer club A.S. Roma from 2014 to 2020. She is the author of Go For the Goal: A Champion's Guide to Winning in Soccer and Life, and has been featured in several films and television shows, including the HBO documentary Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team.
Hamm was born on March 17, 1972, in Selma, Alabama to Bill and Stephanie Hamm. She is the fourth of six children. She wore corrective shoes as a toddler after being born with a club foot. Hamm spent her childhood on various U.S. Air Force bases around the world with her family. She first played soccer while living in Florence, Italy, and her entire family quickly became involved in the sport. At age five, Hamm joined her first soccer team in Wichita Falls, Texas. Her father coached Hamm and her newly adopted brother, 8-year-old Garrett. In junior high school, Hamm excelled as a football player on the boys' team. She attended Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke, Virginia, and helped the Lake Braddock soccer team win the 1989 state championship.
From 1989 to 1993, Hamm attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she helped the Tar Heels win four NCAA Division I Championships in five years. She red-shirted the 1991 season to focus on preparation for the inaugural 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup in China. North Carolina lost one game of the 95 she played on the team. Hamm earned All-American honors, was named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Player of the Year for three consecutive years, and was named ACC Female Athlete of the Year in 1993 and 1994. She graduated from North Carolina in 1994 with the ACC records for goals (103), assists (72), and total points (278). In 2003, Hamm and Michael Jordan were named the greatest athletes of the ACC's first fifty years. Hamm was a member of the United States women's national college team that won a silver medal at the 1993 Summer Universiade in Buffalo, New York. The University of North Carolina retired Hamm's No.19 jersey in 1994.
In 2001, Hamm was a founding player in the first professional women's soccer league in the United States, the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), and played for the Washington Freedom from 2001 to 2003. Throughout the league's history, Hamm was hailed as the star of the league and used heavily in marketing and promotion. In a poll of 1,000 advertising executives conducted in 2001, she was voted "the most appealing female athlete", garnering almost twice as many votes as the runner-up Anna Kournikova. During the league's inaugural match between the Freedom and the Bay Area CyberRays at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., Hamm was fouled in the penalty area, which resulted in a penalty kick that her teammate Pretinha converted to mark the first goal scored in the league. The Freedom won 1–0. The 34,148 fans in attendance surpassed the turnout of every MLS game that weekend, while the television broadcast reached 393,087 households. Playing as a midfielder and forward, Hamm played in 19 of the Freedom's 21 matches during the 2001 season. She led the team in goals (6) and assists (4). The Freedom finished in seventh place during the regular season with a 6–12–3 record. Hamm suffered a knee injury in November 2001 that kept her off the field for several months during early 2002. She played half of the 2002 season with the Freedom, scoring eight goals. The team finished the season in third place with a 11–5–5 record and advanced to the playoffs. After winning the semifinal against the Philadelphia Charge 1–0, the Freedom were defeated 3–2 by the Carolina Courage in the 2002 WUSA Founders Cup. Hamm scored once during the match. During the 2003 season, Hamm started in 16 of the 19 games in which she played. Her 11 goals ranked second on the team behind Abby Wambach's 13, while her 11 assists ranked first. The Freedom finished the regular season in fourth place with a 9–8–4 record and secured a berth in the playoffs. The Freedom defeated the Atlanta Beat 2–1 in overtime to win the Founders Cup on August 24, 2003.
Hamm made her debut for the United States women's national soccer team at the age of 15 at the 1987 U.S. Olympic Festival. She did not score a goal during her first year, and scored her first goal during her 17th appearance. She competed in four FIFA Women's World Cup tournaments: the inaugural 1991 in China, 1995 in Sweden, 1999 and 2003 in the United States. She led the team at three Olympic Games, including: 1996 in Atlanta (the first time women's soccer was played), 2000 in Sydney, and 2004 in Athens. In total, she played 42 matches and scored 14 goals in international tournaments. As of March 2026, Hamm ranks third on the list of most international goals scored, by players of any gender. She ranks third in the history of the U.S. national team for international caps (276) and first for career assists (144).
In 1991, Hamm was named to the roster for the inaugural FIFA Women's World Cup in China under North Carolina coach Anson Dorrance. At 19 years old, she was the youngest player on the squad. During the team's first match of the tournament, Hamm scored the game-winning goal as the U.S. achieved a 3–2 victory over Sweden. She also scored once in their second group stage match as they defeated Brazil 5–0. The U.S. eventually advanced to the final, where they defeated Norway 2–1 to win the World Cup.
