The 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament is held in Germany and began on June 26, 2011 with host team and defending World Cup champion Germany winning it’s first game with a 2-1 score over Canada.

Here are some interesting facts of past FIFA Women’s World Cup tournaments.

• The first FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament held in 1991 was named the Women’s World Championship and was established 61 years later after the first FIFA men’s world cup in 1930.

• At present, Norway is the only team other than the United States and Germany to win the Women’s World Cup.

• Brazil, Germany, Japan, Nigeria, Norway and the United States will have participated in all six Women’s World Cup tournaments to date.

• At present, Germany is the only team to win consecutive Women’s World Cup tournaments.

• In 1999, US defender Brandi Chastain celebrated her winning penalty shot in the World Cup final over China by taking off her jersey and waving it over her head (see The Sports Archives Greatest Moments – Brandi Chastain clinching 1999 Women’s World Cup”).

• The 1999 Women’s World Cup final was held at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California where an attendance of 90,185 set a world record for a women’s sporting event.

• The 2003 Women’s World Cup venue was moved from China to the United Stated due to the SARS epidemic in China.  China still automatically qualified in 2003 and also went on to host the 2007 tournament which was won by Germany.

• At present, the only woman to actually play in 5 World Cups is Kristine Lilly of the United States.  The only men to have played in five are Antonio Carbajal of Mexico and Lothar Matthaus of Germany.

• At present, the leading Women’s World Cup goal scorer is Birgit Prinz of Germany with 14 goals.  Second is Michelle Akers of the United States with 12.

• The 2015 Women’s World Cup will be hosted by Canada and will feature 8 more participating teams for a total 24 and 20 more games played for a total 52.

Birgit Prinz is current Women's World Cup goal scoring leader.

Posted: 06/27/2011