Abby Wambach is an American retired soccer player, coach and member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
She is a six-time winner of the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award and was a regular on the U.S. women’s national soccer team from 2003 to 2015.
Wambach helped the U.S. Women’s National Team win two Olympic gold medals and a World Cup.
She was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 2012, becoming the first American since Mia Hamm to win the award.
After retiring in 2016, Wambach has dedicated her career to fighting for equality and inclusion across industries.
She is a speaker, New York Times Best Seller, and activist.
In 2019, she published the book, Wolfpack: How to Come Together, Unleash Our Power and Change the Game based on her 2018 commencement speech at Barnard College.
Siblings
Wambach has six siblings, two sisters named Laura Wambach and Beth Wambach Ritter and four brothers named Peter Wambach, Matt Wambach, Patrick Wambach and Andrew Wambach.
Wambach is the youngest of the seven children born to Pete and Judy Wambach.
Her siblings live in the Rochester, New York area, except for Patrick who resides in Arizona.
Wambach’s nieces and nephews affectionately call her Aunt Abby, and she has a total of 22 nieces and nephews.
Club career
Wambach’s club career was characterized by her exceptional talent and contributions to the teams she played for.
She started with the Washington Freedom in 2002, showcasing her goal-scoring prowess and leadership.
In 2005, Wambach briefly played for Ajax America Women before joining MagicJack in 2011, where she continued to excel.
From 2013 to 2014, he played for the Western New York Flash, demonstrating her scoring ability and leadership qualities, contributing to the team’s success during her tenure.
Throughout her club career, Wambach’s presence on the field not only elevated her teams’ performance but also inspired fans and aspiring players with her dedication, skill and passion for the game.
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International career
In her international career, Abby Wambach scored 184 goals in 255 international matches for the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) between her debut in 2001 and her final game in 2015.
She remains the all-time leading goal scorer in women’s international soccer.
Wambach played in four FIFA Women’s World Cups (2003, 2007, 2011, 2015), winning the title in 2015 on her final try.
She also won gold medals at the 2004 and 2012 Olympic Games.
In her four World Cup appearances, she scored 14 goals in 19 games and 9 goals in 11 Olympic matches.
Some of Wambach’s most memorable international goals include her 10-yard header in the 112th minute of the 2004 Olympic final against Brazil, and her dramatic game-tying goal on a penalty kick in the 122nd minute of the 2011 World Cup semi-final against France.
Wambach was named the FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year in 2012 and was a six-time winner of the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award (2003, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2013).
She was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2019.
Personal life
Wambach’s wife is Sarah Huffman, a former professional soccer player. They were married in 2013.
In 2016, she announced her relationship with author and activist Glennon Doyle. Doyle had recently divorced her husband Craig Melton.
Wambach and Doyle met through email correspondence and moved in together less than a month later. They were married almost exactly one year after they met.
Wambach and Doyle are known for their open and honest relationship, often discussing topics like “radical honesty” and “trauma response”.
They have a blended family, with Doyle’s three children from her previous marriage.
The couple is preparing to move to Los Angeles this summer, where they will be investors in a new National Women’s Soccer League team.
They are open about their relationship on social media, with fans identifying as either a “Glennon” or an “Abby” in their own relationships.
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