FIFA named former U.S. women’s national team star Michelle Akers its Women’s Player of the Century. She received the award at the FIFA World Player of the Year Awards Gala in Rome on Dec. 11. Akers was the first women’s soccer player to gain global fame and sign a shoe-endorsement contract. She dominated the 1991 Women’s World Cup, scoring 10 goals, including two in the final, to help the USA to victory over Norway. Akers’ retired from international soccer just prior the 2000 Olympics after an historic 15-year career. She played in the first-ever U.S. women’s national team match on Aug. 18, 1985, against Italy, and finished her career with 105 goals in 153 games. Akers was named FIFA Player of the Century in joint voting by readers of FIFA Magazine (weighted at 50%) and the members of the FIFA Football Committee (also weighted at 50%). China’s Sun Wen, who was taken first in the WUSA Draft last weekend by the Atlanta Beat, was honored with the FIFA Internet Award based on the votes cast by the fans through FIFA.com. Akers won two Women’s World Cup and one Olympic gold medal for the United States. In 1998, just prior to the World Cup in France, she received FIFA’s highest honor, the FIFA Order of Merit, for her positive contributions to the game. In addition to Akers’ award, U.S. forward Mia Hamm, the world’s all-time leading scorer with 127 career goals, finished in the top three in voting for both awards. Hamm finished behind Sun Wen in the Internet Award balloting, and third behind both Akers and Sun in the Player of the Century voting.