Pele is probably the greatest soccer player of all time. His real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento. Pele played for a team called the Santos in Brazil when he was only 15. He played 1253 games and scored 1220 goals. In 1975, he joined the New York Cosmos. Pele is the only player that has played in three World Cups. He is the first player to score 1000 goals. Pele helped make soccer more popular in the United States.

Kyle Rote, Jr. is the United States' first native-born soccer star. In his first season, he played for the Dallas Tornados and was named Rookie of the Year and won the league scoring crown. Kyle started out as a football player at Oklahoma State. In the off season, he played soccer for fun and to keep in shape. He decided he liked soccer better and went to the University of the South to play soccer. Kyle loved playing soccer and was glad he made the switch from football to soccer.

Stanley Matthews played for Stoke City an English team when he was 17. Later he played for his favorite team Blackpool. He was still a great soccer star when he was 50. He was really good at outwitting his opponents. He was so good at soccer, and loved so much by the people of England, that Queen Elizabeth II named him Sir Stanley Matthews.

Mia Hamm was born March 17,1972. She is 5'5" and weighs 125 pounds. She plays Forward on her team. Mia Hamm has been called the best female soccer player in the world. In 199,8 she scored her hundredth goal. No soccer player in the United States has scored more. Mia says the best moment in her soccer career was when the WNT won the final game and got to stand on the podium to receive their gold medals.