Ada Hegerberg, Norway
Football
Hegerberg’s life story is one of unbridled, and often unprecedented, success. December 2018 saw the lethal striker named as the first recipient of the Ballon d’Or Feminin, honouring the best female footballer. This hallowed prize came due to her exploits at Lyon, where four consecutive Division 1 Feminine crowns have been lifted and she’s been top scorer for the last three of these. There was also 2015’s Norwegian Gold Ball, a gong given to the country’s best player – no female had won it for 20 years. Before that, her startling talent witnessed her become the youngest-ever scorer of a hat-trick, aged 16, in her native country’s Toppserien. Through sheer weight of numbers, Hegerberg’s achievements are outstanding. From 233 club appearances, 237 goals have been mined. These are numbers that only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo can come close to in the men’s game. For women, these exploits put her on course to match the legendary achievements from the likes of Birgit Prinz and Abby Wambach. What stands Hegerberg apart, even in the most-exalted company, is the fact she is both a great goal scorer and a scorer of great goals. She also plundered a remarkable 15 goals on the way to Lyon’s 2017/18 UEFA Women’s Champions League, nearly double the amount of her nearest competitor. On the pitch, Hegerberg is turning into a forward without compare. But it is also off it, where inspiration can be drawn by millions. No idiotic requests to “twerk” on stage at the Ballon d’Or ceremony could detract from a powerful speech urging “young girls all over the world” to “believe in yourselves”. Women’s football is blessed to have a champion of such talent, composure and purpose.
– Hegerberg’s three-year contract at Lyon, which ties her to them until 2021, is an unprecedented length for the women’s game.
– Has won 10 trophies with Lyon since she joined them in summer 2014, including the last three Champions Leagues.
– Hegerberg is only 23-years old, but is already sixth on the all-time UEFA Women’s Champions League scorers’ list.
– Sadly, the 2019 Women’s World Cup is unlikely to feature Hegerberg. She has snubbed Norway since 2017 because of a long-running dispute with the Norwegian Football Association’s handling of the women’s teams.
– Hegerberg’s career-best season for goals scored saw 54 rattled in during 35 matches in 2015/16 for Lyon.
Did you know…
Hegerberg’s sister, Andrinne, is a midfielder for Paris Saint-Germain and Norway, meaning she comes up against Ada in Division 1 Feminine.
“I’ve been working on the small details since I was very young. I think that what takes you a long way is hard work and commitment, doing your best every day, working on the little things, and I think my own season so far is the result of that.” – Ada Hegerberg (UEFA.com)
Twitter: @AdaStolsmo
Instagram: ahegerberg
