Top Female Scorers: Women’s World Cup
Hinata Miyazawa Leads Field Through Monday
Golden Boot Race Hotly Contested
Norway failed to score through two matches at the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Then, on Sunday, Sophie Haug scored a hat trick in a 6-0 win over the Philippines. That put her in the thick of the Golden Boot race and sent Norway through to the last 16. Through Monday, Haug and three other players are on three goals. They trail only Japan’s Hinata Miyazawa in the race to become top scorer. We’ll look at the current and all-time top female scorers at the Women’s World Cup.
2023 Golden Boot Race
Japan pulled off one of the best World Cup scores so far by defeating Spain 4-0 in their group-stage finale. As a result, Japan finished in first place in Group C without conceding a single goal. Winger Hinata Miyazawa scored twice vs. Spain and has four goals for the tournament. She’s currently the only player with four goals and is the tournament favorite.
Four players are hot on Miyazawa’s heels and are all on teams that could make deep runs. Sophie Haug’s hat trick vs. Switzerland powered Norway to the round of 16, where they’ll take on Miyazawa’s Japan. Brazil’s Ary Borges has scored the only other hat trick of the tournament so far. She found the net three times in Brazil’s 4-0 win over Panama.
Sweden defender Amanda Ilestedt is the only defender in the Golden Boot race. Her three goals have come on headers, and she scored twice in a 5-0 rout of Italy. Meanwhile, German superstar Alexandra Popp scored twice vs. Morocco and found the net on a penalty in a 2-1 loss vs. Colombia. She may need to come through for Germany as they play South Korea in a crucial Women’s World Cup schedule match.
Top Women’s World Cup Scorers All-Time
Marta is alone on the list of the top female scorers in the World Cup, with 17 career goals. She and Christine Sinclair are the only women to score in five different editions of the World Cup. Marta is on Brazil’s active roster and can further add to her tally but she has only made two substitute appearances. It’ll be interesting to see if Pia Sundhage calls on her in Brazil’s crucial group stage finale match vs. Jamaica.
While Marta has the most Women’s World Cup goals, retired German forward Birgit Prinz has the most non-penalty goals. She scored 14 goals for Germany in the Women’s World Cups and helped them win back-to-back tournaments in 2003 and 2007. Americans Abby Wambach and Michelle Akers scored 14 and 12 goals in World Cups, respectively.
Three players are tied for fifth, with 11 goals. They are Brazil’s Cristiane, China’s Wen Sun and Germany’s Bettina Wiegmann. No active player at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup has more than 10 career World Cup goals other than Marta. Canada’s Christine Sinclair has scored 10 times, but Canada were eliminated in the group stage.
Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe are both on the USA’s active roster and have scored nine Women’s World Cup goals apiece. They both scored six goals in 2019 but Rapinoe won the Golden Boot on a tiebreaker. Meanwhile, active France striker Eugenie Le Sommer and Germany’s Alexandra Popp both have six career World Cup goals.
International Top Scorers
Christine Sinclair leads the pack on the list of top female scorers in international play all-time. She’s scored 190 times for Canada, which is six more goals than Abby Wambach managed for the USA. The legendary Mia Hamm scored 158 times in an illustrious career for the USA. Jordan’s Maysa Jbarah is the only player from the AFC in the top ten and the only player with more than 100 international goals to have better than a one goal to games ratio.
Some familiar faces round out the top ten. USA’s Carli Lloyd finished with 134 goals in her national team career. Fellow American Kristine Lilly had just four fewer goals than Lloyd in her stint with the USWNT. Birgit Prinz scored 128 times for Germany and Alex Morgan has 121 goals and counting for the USA. Scotland’s Julie Fleeting is in ninth place with 116 goals and Marta rounds out the top ten, with 115.
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