The eagerly anticipated 2023 Women’s World Cup began Australia and New Zealand on July 20, with 32 teams battling for glory.
This is the first edition of the expanded tournament and a hosting debut for Oceania, as excitement continues to grow for fans all over the world.
More teams competing has increased the chance of a few shocks Down Under with the established nations looking to their key stars for big performances.
Alongside the chance to lift the biggest prize in women’s international football, the Golden Boot race will also feature prominently, with previous tournaments seeing some eye-catching performances in front of goal.
Among those includes those players to score a hat trick — three goals in a single match — and the stars of 2023 will look to emulate these past greats when it comes to that feat.
MORE: FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023: List of teams qualified for the tournament
Women’s World Cup hat tricks
Hat-tricks on the world stage are cherished moments for individual players with the chance to score three or more goals often a once-in-a-career event.
To date, there have been 25 hat-tricks scored at the Women’s World Cup finals, the most recent of which happened in 2023. Ary Borges of Brazil scored three times in their opening match against Panama on July 24.
Alongside an eye-catching list of players scoring hat-tricks (three goals) in a single game, three players have scored more than three in a match.
Australia star Sam Kerr bagged all four goals in their 2019 win over Jamaica, with USWNT hotshot Alex Morgan netting five goals in their 13-0 rout of Thailand in the same tournament.
Former USNWT star Michelle Akers was the first player to score more than three goals in a Women’s World Cup game as she fired home five goals in a 7-0 win over Chinese Taipei in the 1991 competition.
Women’s World Cup hat tricks
Player
Nation
Tournament
Opponent
Result
Carolina Morace
Italy
1991
Chinese Taipei
Italy 5 Chinese Taipei 0
Michelle Akers*
USA
1991
Chinese Taipei
USA 7 Chinese Taipei 0
Carin Jennings
USA
1991
Germany
USA 5 Germany 2
Kristin Sandberg
Norway
1995
Nigeria
Norway 8 Nigeria 0
Ann Kristin Aarones
Norway
1995
Canada
Norway 7 Canada 0
Sissi
Brazil
1995
Mexico
Brazil 7 Mexico 1
Pretinha
Brazil
1995
Mexico
Brazil 7 Mexico 1
Sun Wen
China
1999
Ghana
China 7 Ghana 0
Inka Grings
Germany
1999
Mexico
Germany 6 Mexico 0
Mio Otani
Japan
2003
Argentina
Japan 6 Argentina 0
Birgit Prinz
Germany
2007
Argentina
Germany 11 Argentina 0
Sandra Smisek
Germany
2007
Argentina
Germany 11 Argentina 0
Ragnhild Gulbrandsen
Norway
2007
Ghana
Norway 7 Ghana 2
Homare Sawa
Japan
2011
Mexico
Japan 4 Mexico 0
Celia Sasic
Germany
2015
Ivory Coast
Germany 10 Ivory Coast 0
Anja Mittag
Germany
2015
Ivory Coast
Germany 10 Ivory Coast 0
Gaelle Enganamouit
Cameroon
2015
Ecuador
Cameroon 6 Ecuador 0
Fabienne Humm
Switzerland
2015
Ecuador
Switzerland 10 Ecuador 1
Ramona Bachmann
Switzerland
2015
Ecuador
Switzerland 10 Ecuador 1
Carli Lloyd
USA
2015
Japan
USA 5 Japan 2
Cristiane
Brazil
2019
Jamaica
Brazil 3 Jamaica 0
Alex Morgan*
USA
2019
Thailand
USA 13 Thailand 0
Cristiana Girelli
Italy
2019
Jamaica
Italy 5 Jamaica 0
Sam Kerr*
Australia
2019
Jamaica
Australia 4 Jamaica 1
Ary Borges
Brazil
2023
Panama
Brazil 4 Panama 0 (ongoing)
*Akers and Morgan both scored five goals in a World Cup match, with Kerr scoring four.
Women’s World Cup Golden Boot winners
The Golden Boot award is given to the top goalscorer at each Women’s World Cup, with assists and minutes played now used as tiebreakers if multiple players are level at the top of the list.
Some of the biggest names in women’s international football have claimed the award in previous tournaments with USWNT star Megan Rapinoe looking to defend her 2019 prize in 2023.
Women’s World Cup Golden Boot winners
Player
Nation
Tournament
No. of goals
Michelle Akers
USA
1991
10
Ann Kristin Aarones
Norway
1995
6
Sun Wen/Sissi
China/Brazil
1999
7
Birgit Prinz
Germany
2003
7
Marta
Brazil
2007
7
Homare Sawa
Japan
2011
5
Celia Sasic
Germany
2015
6
Megan Rapinoe
USA
2019
6
Top scorers in Women’s World Cup history
The Golden Boot list at each tournament heavily impacts the overall Women’s World Cup scorers list. Brazilian great Marta leads the way with 17 World Cup goals spread across four tournaments.
The experienced forward will lead Brazil’s attack again in the 2023 tournament in what could be her international swansong, and her record is unlikely to be broken in Australia and New Zealand.
Top scorers in Women’s World Cup history
Rank
Player
Nation
No. of goals
1.
Marta*
Brazil
17
2.
Birgit Prinz
Germany
14
=.
Abby Wambach
Germany
14
4.
Michelle Akers
USA
12
5.
Cristiane
Brazil
11
=.
Sun Wen
China
11
=.
Bettina Wiegmann
Germany
11
8.
Ann Kristin Aarones
Norway
10
=.
Carli Lloyd
USA
10
=.
Heidi Mohr
Germany
10
=.
Christine Sinclair*
Canada
10
12.
Linda Medalen
Norway
9
=.
Alex Morgan*
USA
9
=.
Hege Riise
Norway
9
=.
Megan Rapinoe*
USA
9
*Denotes active player ahead of the 2023 Women’s World Cup
