Soccer ball, hand signed by Mia Hamm. Comes with acrylic display box. Certificate of Authenticity by Steiner Sports Memorabilia. Mia Hamm: Pioneering Women’s Soccer Legend Mia Hamm is widely recognized as one of the most influential female soccer players in United States sports history. Born on March 17, 1972, in Selma, Alabama, Hamm revolutionized women’s soccer through her exceptional athletic prowess and remarkable goal-scoring abilities. As a professional women’s soccer forward, she became a global icon who dramatically elevated the visibility and popularity of women’s soccer during the 1990s and early 2000s. Her extraordinary career with the United States Women’s National Soccer Team included two Olympic gold medals and two FIFA Women’s World Cup championships, establishing her as a transformative athlete who inspired generations of young women to pursue soccer as a serious competitive sport. Throughout her professional career, Hamm broke numerous scoring records and became the first female soccer player to truly capture mainstream American sports attention. Her international soccer achievements included scoring 158 goals in 275 international matches, a record that stood for many years and helped legitimize women’s soccer as a premier athletic endeavor. Beyond her on-field accomplishments, Hamm was instrumental in changing public perception about women’s athletics, demonstrating that female athletes could be powerful, marketable, and critically important to national sports culture. Her soccer legacy extends far beyond her statistical achievements, as she helped create pathways for future generations of women athletes and played a pivotal role in the growing professional opportunities for women in soccer.