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Mia Hamm plays goalie: World Cup Moment No. 47

Published Jun. 3, 2023 8:28 p.m. ET

Editor's note: Each day between now and the kickoff of the first match of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup on July 20, FOX Sports is counting down the most memorable moments in the tournament's 32-year history.

Mia Hamm was a goal-scoring machine for the United States women's national team. In U.S. Soccer history, only Abby Wambach has scored more goals in international competitions.

So why did she play goalie at the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup? It's a fair question with a pretty simple explanation.

Up 2-0 against Denmark, USWNT goalkeeper Briana Scurry mistakenly stepped out of the penalty box while taking her goal kick, resulting in a red card. To make matters worse, USWNT head coach Tony DiCicco had already used all of his substitutions.

With only five minutes left in the match and defense of the upmost importance in the final moments, DiCicco opted to put Ham, an attacker in goal. To this day, Hamm is the only non-goalkeeper in the history of the Women's World Cup to play in goal during a match.

And the best part is, the game ended 2-0 in the United States' favor.

Mia Hamm Makes History: No. 47 | Most Memorable Moments in Women's World Cup History

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