Eight unforgettable Women’s World Cup moments

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand will be unique for many reasons.

It marks the first time the tournament has been co-hosted by two countries and across two confederations. If that isn’t enough, it will be the first expanded 32-team tournament, which means a whole host of new and up-and-coming footballing talent.

To celebrate the ninth women’s competition, check out this quick-fire list of unforgettable moments from the eight World Cups that came before.

1. The inaugural trophy (1991)

The first FIFA sanctioned Women’s World Cup took place in 1991, and it was officially known as the 1st FIFA World Championship for Women's Football for the M&M's Cup.

In this tournament the games were played for 80 minutes, instead of 90, and the cup was eventually won by the United States, who beat Norway 2-1. With four World Cup wins, the US team has claimed half of all the trophies available.

A lack of big broadcast deals meant barely anyone in the US was able to watch it live - but it was watched in-person by a crowd of 63,000 supporters.

2. Ann Kristin Aarønes’s Golden Boot win (1995)

Twelve national teams from across six continental confederations participated in the 1995 tournament, which was held in Sweden. But it was Norwegian forward Ann Kristin Aarønes that took home the Golden Boot, hitting the back of the net six times throughout the competition.

If that wasn’t enough, her goals also helped her national team take home the glory as World Cup champions, after beating Germany 2-0 in the final. Prior to the 2023 competition, Aarønes stands as the joint eighth all-time top scorer in Women’s World Cup history.

3. Kristine Lilly’s goal-line clearance (1999)

World Cup finals don’t get any more intense that this. In 1999, the final between the US and China went to golden goal extra time after a 0-0 result, meaning any goal would result in instant victory.

It was in this time that US midfielder Kristine Lilly denied China’s Fan Yunjie the World Cup winning goal, when she made a goal-line clearance with a header. The US would go on to win the tournament 5-4 on penalties.

Lilly holds the record for the all-time highest international capped football player, of both men and women, with 354 caps.

4. The first and only golden goal (2003)

Germany and Sweden took it down to the wire at the 2003 World Cup final. The match was concluded by a historic golden goal header from Germany’s Nia Künzer in the 98th minute. It is the first and only time a Women’s World Cup has been won by a golden goal.

Throughout the 2003 competition, just under 25% of the goals were scored from headers.

Not only was it Germany’s first ever World Cup title, but it was also the first time a global football title was won by a country with a female coach.

5. Kelly Smith’s celebration (2007)

Kelly Smith scored her 22nd goal for England in a 2007 World Cup match against Japan. At 1-0 down and with 10 minutes left on the clock, England needed something special. That moment arrived when a ball from midfielder Karen Carney reached Kelly Smith in the box.

After pelting the ball into the back of the neck, she celebrated by taking off her football boot, raising it to the air for all to see and kissing it. The game eventually ended with a 2-2 score line, but helped England seal their quarter-final placement.

6. Japan triumphs (2011)

In 2011, a devastating earthquake and a tsunami hit Japan, leading to a death toll of approximately 20,000. It was only three months later that the Japanese national team travelled to Germany to play the World Cup.

Despite the national crisis, the team rose to the challenge, reaching the final against the US. The game, which stood at 2-1, was saved for Japan in the late stages by captain Homare Sawa, who scored a late extra-time equaliser, taking the game to penalties. The shootout saw Japan win 3-1 and Sawa was later named Player of the Tournament.

7. History-making debuts (2015)

Cameroon made their mark in the 2015 competition, after qualifying for the World Cup for the first time. The group stages saw them deliver an impressive 6-0 win over Ecuador, as well as a 2-1 score line over Switzerland, to secure their position in the last sixteen.

This success made Cameroon the second team in Africa to progress from the group stage, but an eventual 0-1 defeat to China put an end to their campaign. They were one of three African teams to take part in the 2015 tournament, alongside Nigeria and Ivory Coast.

8. Marta makes history…twice! (2019)

The Brazilian footballer Marta bagged herself an impressive world record, when she became the first ever football player, of both men’s and women’s, to score at five separate World Cups. The goal, which materialised as a penalty against Australia, was the 16th goal for the six-time Women’s World Player of the Year.

She later scored a 17th goal against Italy in that same tournament, earning her the record of the highest World Cup goal scorer of all time.

This article was published in July 2023