Michelle Akers

Michelle Akers is an American former soccer player who helped the United States win the 1991 and 1999 Women’s World Cups and Olympic gold in 1996.

1991 FIFA Women's World Cup: The inaugural FIFA Women’s World Cup, held in China and won by the United States. Akers scored both U.S. goals in the final and finished as the tournament’s leading scorer.
Mia Hamm: An American soccer forward who became one of the sport’s most prominent players. Hamm and Akers were leading figures across the United States’ early World Cup-winning teams.
Forward (association football): An attacking position in association football whose primary task is to create and score goals. Akers first became renowned for the scoring threat she brought as a forward.
United States women's national soccer team: The national team representing the United States in women’s international soccer. Akers’s major titles came with a team that became a global standard-setter.
1996 Summer Olympics: The Atlanta-hosted Summer Games, where women’s soccer made its Olympic debut. Akers helped the United States win the first Olympic women’s soccer gold medal.
Carin Jennings-Gabarra: An American soccer forward who played on the 1991 Women’s World Cup-winning team. Jennings-Gabarra shared the attack with Akers during the United States’ first world title.
Midfielder: A soccer position linking a team’s defense and attack through ball movement and coverage. Later in her career, Akers played deeper and contributed beyond scoring.
Women's association football: The sport of association football played by women and girls. Akers’s international success helped raise the profile of the women’s game.
1999 FIFA Women's World Cup: The third FIFA Women’s World Cup, hosted and won by the United States. Akers was a veteran contributor to the U.S. team’s second world title.
April Heinrichs: An American soccer player and coach who captained the 1991 U.S. Women’s World Cup team. Heinrichs captained the team whose attack Akers led at the inaugural tournament.

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