Mary Abigail "Abby" Wambach (born June 2, 1980) is an American soccer player, coach, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and the 2012 FIFA World Player of the Year. Wambach has played for the United States women's national soccer team since 2001. She played collegiate soccer for the University of Florida Gators and helped the school secure its first NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship and was recognized as a three-time All-American. Wambach has played at the professional level for Washington Freedom, magicJack, and the Western New York Flash. Her playing rights are currently held by Seattle Reign FC though she has stated she does not plan to play professionally in 2015 in preparation for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. A six-time winner of the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award, Wambach has been a regular on the U.S. women's national soccer team since 2003. As a forward, she currently stands as the highest all-time goal scorer for the national team and holds the world record for international goals for both female and male soccer players with 184 goals.
Wambach has competed in four FIFA Women's World Cup tournaments: 2003 in the United States, 2007 in China, 2011 in Germany, and 2015 in Canada; and two Olympics tournaments: 2004 in Athens and 2012 in London. All together, she has played in 29 matches and scored 22 goals at these five international tournaments. Wambach is known for scoring goals with diving headers, a technique she began honing as a youth in her hometown of Rochester, New York. One of her most notable header goals occurred in the 122nd minute of the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup quarterfinal match against Brazil. Wambach scored the equalizer in stoppage time helping the Americans to eventually progress to the championship final against Japan after defeating Brazil in penalty kicks.
Her last-minute goal set a new record for latest goal ever scored in a match and was awarded ESPN's 2011 ESPY Award for Best Play of the Year. Following her performance at the 2011 World Cup, she was awarded the tournament's Bronze Boot and Silver Ball. When the Associated Press named her Athlete of the Year, she became the first individual soccer player ever to receive the award. July 20 was named "Abby Wambach Day" in Rochester and she was given a key to the city. In 2012, Wambach was awarded the 2012 FIFA World Player of the Year, becoming the first American woman to win the award in ten years. In May 2015 she was included in Time Magazine's Time 100 list as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
