“I always wanted to be more validated as a human being, as a person, than I was as a player. I think that was a really hard balance for me.”

American former professional soccer player, born 1980

Abby Wambach is an American former professional soccer player, born in 1980. She played as a forward and spent 2003 to 2015 with the U.S. women's national soccer team. Wambach is best known for her scoring record and her place in the game’s modern history. With 184 international goals, she ranks second on the all-time list for international goals by players of any gender. She won the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award six times, was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 2012, and was included on the 2015 Time 100 list of the world’s most influential people.