The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup kicks off this July, with Australia and New Zealand serving as the tournament’s joint-hosts. The United States are the two-time defending champions and will look to become the first team in history to win three straight World Cups, either on the men’s or women’s side.
What is the Golden Boot?
The Golden Boot is awarded to the top goal scorer at each edition of the World Cup. If multiple players are tied with the same number of goals, the player with more assists will win the award. If the players are still tied on both goals and assists, the player who played the least minutes – and therefore had the fewest minutes per goal – will be given the Golden Boot. The award was known as “The Golden Shoe” before being renamed for the 2011 World Cup.
Who are the all-time top scorers at the Women’s World Cup?
Brazilian Marta, considered one of the greatest women’s soccer players in history, is the all-time top scorer at the Women’s World Cup. Marta has scored 17 goals in her five World Cup appearances, winning the Golden Boot as the top scorer at the 2007 tournament when she scored seven goals. In 2019, Marta passed German men’s player Miroslav Klose (16 goals) as the top scorer in the history of the World Cup, male or female.
Have any Americans won the Golden Boot?
Two Americans have won the Golden Boot, Michelle Akers in the inaugural 1991 tournament and Megan Rapinoe in 2019. Akers holds the record for most goals scored at a single Women’s World Cup, bagging 10 goals in 1991. Five of those goals came in a 7-0 win over Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals, while she also scored both goals in the United States’ 2-1 win over Norway in the final.
Megan Rapinoe won the Golden Boot in the last edition of the Women’s World Cup, scoring six goals in 2019. Rapinoe, American teammate Alex Morgan, and England’s Ellen White all finished tied on six goals, with both Rapinoe and Morgan tied on three assists (White had zero assists). Going to the third tiebreaker, Rapinoe played fewer minutes than Morgan, which gave Rapinoe the Golden Boot.
All past Golden Boot winners (1991-2019)
1991: Michelle Akers (USA) – 10
1995: Ann-Kristin Aarones (NOR) – 6
1999: Sissi (BRA) / Sun Wen (CHN) – 7
2003: Birgit Prinz (GER) – 7
2007: Marta (BRA) – 7
2011: Homare Sawa (JPN) – 5
2015: Celia Sasic (GER) – 6
2019: Megan Rapinoe (USA) - 6
2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup schedule, start time, dates, how to watch live
- When: July 20 to August 20
- Location: Australia and New Zealand
- TV channels en Español: Telemundo, Universo, Peacock
- Streaming en Español: Peacock (all 64 matches)
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