Ranking the greatest U.S. women's soccer players of all time (2024)

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O’Reilly played a ton of games for the American squad — 231 to be exact. As such, it’s not surprising that she finished with 47 career goals and is in the top 10 in career assists with 52. The winger retired from international play in 2016, having won three golds and one World Cup, which came in 2015. She got that one in just under the wire.

19. Julie Ertz

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The 27-year-old Ertz is still in her prime, so she has a chance to climb up these rankings going forward, especially if she dominates at this World Cup. It wouldn’t be surprising if she did, as she has taken her game to a new level since she started playing as a defensive midfielder. In fact, that move helped her be named the national team’s Player of the Year in 2017.

18. April Heinrichs

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Heinrichs was the captain of the American team that won the first Women’s World Cup in 1991. That was also the end of her international career, and she spent the bulk of it in a dark ages for women’s soccer. As such, she ended up playing in only 46 games for the United States but notched 35 goals. Heinrichs was the first woman elected into the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

17. Shannon MacMillan

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MacMillan served the role of the “super sub” during the 1999 World Cup and the 2000 Olympics, and she knew how to make an impact off the bench. Though she retired in 2005, MacMillan still ranks ninth in career goals and assists. She was also named the USWNT’s Player of the Year in 2002 when she managed a whopping 17 goals.

16. Carla Overbeck

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Overbeck was a center back, which means she didn’t get a chance to make many flashy plays. All she did was provide steady defensive play and leadership. Overbeck was the captain of the U.S. team from 1993 through 2000, making her one of the two longest serving captains in team history. She was also one of the four defenders on the All-Time XI team that was named in 2013.

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Rapinoe is something of a wizard with the ball, and she’s also got a knack for threading a pass or making a cross. She’s tallied 57 assists in her international career, fifth most in the country’s history, despite having picked up only 153 caps. Since the 33-year-old is still active, there’s time for her to add to that tally, or to win another World Cup, this time as captain.

14. Joy Fawcett

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Fawcett played in a ton of games and logged a ton of minutes. The defender played every single minute of the 1995, 1999 and 2003 Women’s World Cups. Combine that with her 241 caps, and she clearly made a massive impact for the national squad. Case in point: Her 27 goals are a high among American defenders.

13. Briana Scurry

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She has since been overshadowed by the performance, and personality, of Hope Solo, but Scurry was a great goalie in her own right. She picked up 173 caps for the United States and started for the 1999 and 2003 World Cup teams. In her career she notched 71 clean sheets, and it’s her, not Solo, who made the All-Time XI team in net.

12. Carin Jennings-Gabarra

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Jennings-Gabarra has been overlooked due to the number of games she played, but on a per-game basis she was a force. She managed 56 goals and 49 assists in 119 caps, an impressive average on both fronts. The forward, who has been the manager of the Naval team since 1993, also was named the best player at the 1991 World Cup.

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You remember Chastain for her iconic penalty kick, and her celebration, but her career was so much more than that moment. She played all over the field for the U.S. team, but it’s as a defenseman that she made the All-Time XI. Chastain racked up a ton of minutes, and while her numbers aren’t as gaudy as some others, that one incredibly clutch kick boosted her up the ranks a bit.

10. Tiffeny Milbrett

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Though she debuted in 1991, Milbrett just missed the first Women’s World Cup. She made up for it, though, appearing in three Cups before retiring in 2006. The 5-foot-2 forward racked up a ton of goals in World Cup play, which helped her to 100 total goals in her international career, making her one of a handful of women to hit that mark.

9. Alex Morgan

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It feels like it was just yesterday Morgan was the promising young striker just trying to make her mark. Now she’s a veteran with 101 career goals for the American team. Of course since she’s only 29, there’s time for her to add to that total. Even more impressively, Morgan has averaged 0.62 goals per game, which is the third-best average among the U.S. top 10 scorers.

8. Christie Pearce (Rampone)

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Pearce, known as Rampone during her playing days, was a center back who just concerned herself with defending. She managed only four goals in her international career; however, she was a rock for the Americans for decades. We mean that almost literally. Pearce debuted in 1997 and retired in 2015. She played in the 2015 World Cup as a 40-year-old. That’s what helped boost her games to a staggering 311. That’s a lot of patrolling of the back line.

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Foudy is one of the three midfielders on the All-Time Best XI, not to mention a Hall of Famer and a one-time captain. She’s also tied for fourth in all-time caps and ranks sixth in assists. We’ve seen her as a TV personality for many years, but before that she was a great player and a member of two World Cup-winning teams.

6. Hope Solo

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Yes, Solo is a problematic personality. She was also an amazing goalkeeper. Solo has the American record for caps, starts, wins and clean sheets. She was in net for a 55-game undefeated streak and was once U.S. Soccer’s Female Athlete of the Year. Though Solo was sometimes controversial off the field, she always got the job done on it.

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Lloyd scored a hat trick in the 2015 World Cup finals, which was an iconic performance if there ever was one. Of course, those were only three of the 110 goals she’s tallied in her international career. During this World Cup, she will also climb to third overall in caps, making her a true fixture in American soccer history.

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Akers gets overlooked a bit because she played from 1985-2000. However, she was one of two women named to Pele’s list of the top 100 living players in 2004. That was just one man’s opinion, of course, so try this on for size. She scored 10 goals in the 1991 World Cup and played in five games at the 1999 World Cup. Akers finished her U.S. career with 107 goals, but she netted 0.69 per game.

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You want to talk about a sheer quantity of impact? That’s where Lilly comes in. Lilly played for 23 years with the national team, picking up 354 caps. That’s a record for men or women. Given how many games she played, it’s not surprising that she is one of two women with over 100 goals and 100 assists for the United States. Sure, some of that is a function of opportunity and the length of time she played, but you don’t get that many chances if you aren’t a great player.

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Few people could score like Wambach — as in, she finished with 184 goals in international play. That’s not just higher than any woman, but it’s also higher than any man. While she played a ton of games, Wambach also averaged 0.72 goals per game. That’s an incredible number for a soccer player. She was named Women’s World Player of the Year by FIFA in 2012 and was named the U.S. Women’s Player of the Year six times.

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Wambach was a great player, so it takes a true talent to best her. That’s exactly who Mia Hamm is. For years she was the face of women’s soccer in this country. She appeared in five World Cups and was named the U.S. Women’s Player of the Year five years in a row. Pele also named her to his FIFA 100. Hamm ranks third in career caps, second in goals and first in assists. Hamm could do it all. That’s why she tops this list.