Sun Wen (footballer) facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 6 April 1973 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Shanghai, China | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.62 m (5 ft 4 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Forward | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1989–2000 | Shanghai | 659 | (164) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2002 | Atlanta Beat | 33 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003 | Shanghai SVA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | Shanghai SVA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–2006 | China | 163 | (106) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Honours
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sun Wen (born 6 April 1973) is a famous Chinese former professional football player. She played as a forward, which means she was a key player in scoring goals. Sun Wen was also the captain of the Chinese national team and the Atlanta Beat in the United States.
In 2000, Sun Wen was honored as one of the two FIFA Female Player of the Century winners, sharing the award with Michelle Akers from the USA. She also won the Golden Ball (best player) and Golden Boot (top scorer) at the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup. Many people consider her one of the greatest women's football players of all time.
After she stopped playing, Sun Wen became the vice-president of the Chinese Football Association in 2019. This shows her continued dedication to the sport.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Sun Wen started playing football when she was about ten years old. Her father, Sun Zonggao, enjoyed playing football for fun and often took her to watch men's league matches. Sun Wen says her father was a big reason she got into the sport.
She also studied Chinese literature at the University of Shanghai.
Sun Wen's Club Career
Playing for Shanghai SVA
Sun Wen played for the Shanghai team in the Chinese women's league for many years. She was a key player for her home team.
Time with Atlanta Beat
From 2001 to 2002, Sun Wen played for the Atlanta Beat in the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) in the United States. She was the very first player chosen in the WUSA's first draft!
However, injuries to her knee and ankle meant she could only play in 13 games during her first season. Even with injuries, she helped her team a lot. In a semifinal match, the Atlanta Beat was losing 2-0. Sun Wen scored a penalty kick and then helped set up another goal, leading her team to a 3-2 win.
In 2002, she played in 18 games and scored four goals. The Atlanta Beat made it to the playoffs again, but they were stopped in the semifinals. Sun Wen decided to leave the WUSA in January 2003 to go back to China. She wanted to prepare for the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup with her national team.
Sun Wen's International Career
Sun Wen joined China's national team when she was just 17 years old. She played in four FIFA Women's World Cup tournaments for China. She is one of only three women to have played in all 15 of China's matches across three World Cup appearances. By 1999, she had scored 10 goals in her World Cup career, making her one of the top scorers ever.
She also helped the Chinese national team win the Asian Cup in 1991, 1993, 1995, and 1997.
Olympic and World Cup Highlights
Sun Wen led China to a silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. This was a huge achievement for the team.
At the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, Sun Wen was amazing. She scored seven goals and won both the Golden Ball (for being the best player) and the Golden Boot (for being the top scorer) in the tournament.
She briefly returned to the Chinese women's team in December 2005 after a two-year break. However, due to injuries, she retired again after helping China win the AFC Women's Asian Cup in 2006.
Honors and Awards
Sun Wen was known for being a strong striker with amazing skills and great passing abilities. She won both the Golden Boot (sharing it with Sissi from Brazil) and the Golden Ball at the 1999 Women's World Cup. She was also the first woman to be nominated for the Asian Football Confederation player of the year award.
In 2002, she received the FIFA Internet Award in the FIFA Female Player of the Century voting. While the overall award went to American Michelle Akers, Sun Wen received the most votes from fans on the FIFA website. This shows how popular and respected she was around the world.
Personal Life and Football Leadership
After retiring from playing football, Sun Wen worked in Chinese media, advertising, and education. She continued to be involved in different fields.
In August 2019, she was chosen as the vice-president of the Chinese Football Association. Her main job is to help develop women's football in China. She also worked with the FIFA Technical Study Group at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France. She was also part of the team that looked at bids for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup. This shows her ongoing commitment to the sport at a high level.
See also
- List of association women football players with 100 or more international goals
