10 January 2010 - Marta Takes Five

On 10 January 2010, Marta won her fifth consecutive FIFA World Player of the Year award.

After finishing third in voting for 2004 and second in 2005, the Brazilian forward finally won her first World Player of the Year award in 2006 while playing for Umeå in Sweden, then repeated as winner in 2007 and 2008. In 2009, she moved to the US to play for the Los Angeles Sol and finished the season as the league's top scorer, leading to her record fourth World Player of the Year award (Lionel Messi matched that record with a fourth award of his own in 2012).

When Los Angeles folded in January 2010, she joined FC Gold Pride, who selected her with the first pick in  the WPS supplemental draft. She repeated as the league's top scorer that season and helped Gold Pride win the WPS Championship with a 4-0 win over Philadelphia on 26 September. Just over two months later, she was named World Player of the Year for a fifth time, setting a new record.

She came close to extending the record in 2011 and 2012, but finished second in the voting for both years, first to Japan's Homare Sawa and then to the USA's Abby Wambach.

21 April 2007 - Arsenal Win The Champions League

On 21 April 2007, Arsenal Ladies defeated hosts Umeå IK 0-1 in the first leg of the UEFA Women's Cup Final. Arsenal full-back Alex Scott (pictured on the left) provided the late match-winner with a 25-yard rocket in stoppage time.

It was the fourth final in six years for Umeå, who had won it twice and were heavy favorites over Arsenal. The Swedes had breezed through the tournament, winning every match they had played, from the group stage to the semifinals. Arsenal, making their first Final appearance, had similarly gone undefeated, but had conceded one draw - a 2-2 scoreline against Danish side Brøndby IF in the first leg of the semifinals.

The Swedes created loads of chances, particularly from their forward pairing of Hanna Ljungberg and Marta, but they were constantly denied by goalkeeper Emma Byrne and the rest of the Arsenal defense. The match appeared to be headed for a draw when, in the second minute of stoppage time, Scott rushed forward and rifled a shot just under the bar. The match ended one minute later.

The teams met in London for the second leg on 29 April, but battled to a scoreless draw that gave Arsenal the title. It was part of an historic quadruple for the club, who also won that season's league title, the FA Women's Cup, and the FA Women's Premier League Cup.

UEFA has since rebranded the Women's Cup as the UEFA Women's Champions League.

17 December 2007 - Yet Another Brazilian Hat-Trick

On 17 December 2007, FIFA presented its World Player of the Year awards. It was a sweep for Brazil, with Kaká and Marta named World Player of the Year and Women's World Player of the Year, respectively. It was the first--and to date only--time a single nation claimed both awards.

Earlier that year, Kaká led AC Milan to the 2006-07 Champions League title, finishing as the tournament's top scorer with 10 goals. Marta, meanwhile, had helped her club, Swedish side Umeå IK, claim a double, winning both the league and the Swedish Cup. She also led them to that year's UEFA Women's Cup Final, where they lost to Arsenal LFC, 1-0.

The 2007 award was the second consecutive Player of the Year award for Marta, who won it a third time in 2008.

Brazil walked away with a total of three honors, as FIFA conferred the 2007 Presidential Award on Pelé for his years of service to the game.

19 February 1986 - The Start Of Marta

On 19 February 1986, five-time World Player of the Year Marta was born in Dois Riachos, Brazil.

A forward, she started her career at the age of 14 with Vasco da Gama, but the women's team folded after her second season there, prompting her 2002 move to Belo Horizonte to play for Santa Cruz. In 2004, she left Brazil for Sweden, joining the reigning UEFA Women's Cup holders Umeå IK and, in her first season, helped them successfully defend their title.

She won back-to-back league titles with Umeå in 2005 and 2006, leading to the first of five consecutive World Player of the Year awards. After winning two more league titles in 2007 and 2008, she moved to the United States to play for the Los Angeles Sol in the inaugural season for the new league, WPS.

Despite winning the title, Los Angeles folded after one year, prompting Marta's transfer to FC Gold Pride in 2010, then to the Western New York Flash in 2011, winning titles with both. Since 2012, she has played for Tyresö in Sweden.

Along the way, she has scored 73 goals in 88 appearances for Brazil.

23 May 2002 - There's A Reason It's Called A Home Advantage

On 23 May 2002, Frankfurt hosted and won the first UEFA Women's Cup Final, beating Umeå 2-0.

Although UEFA first held a tournament for women's international teams in 1969, and has organized a regular European championship since 1982, the 2001-02 Women's Cup was its first club competition for its distaff members. Including a single-match qualifying round, a total of 33 teams participated.

Both Frankfurt and Umeå impressed in the early rounds, winning their groups without a loss and setting goal differentials of +24 and +10, respectively (Frankfurt's differential was reached primarily in a single game when they beat CSC Yerevan 18-0 in their final match of the group).

They both made their way through the knockout rounds to reach the final, played at the Waldstadion in Frankfurt. There, a crowd of just over 12,000 gathered to watch a closely-fought match that remained scoreless deep into the second half.

Then, in the 68th minute, defender Steffi Jones, a German international and Frankfurt native, scored the opening goal to put the hosts in front. The defenses for both sides continued to dominate for the remaining minutes before midfielder and captain Birgit Prinz (pictured) added a second for the home team in the 89th minute to set the final margin at 2-0.

The two teams met twice more in the tournament final, with Umeå winning in 2004 and Frankfurt winning in 2008.

10 January 2010 - Marta Takes Five

On 10 January 2010, Marta won her fifth consecutive FIFA World Player of the Year award.

After finishing third in voting for 2004 and second in 2005, the Brazilian forward finally won her first World Player of the Year award in 2006 while playing for Umeå in Sweden, then repeated as winner in 2007 and 2008. In 2009, she moved to the US to play for the Los Angeles Sol and finished the season as the league's top scorer, leading to her record fourth World Player of the Year award (Lionel Messi matched that record with a fourth award of his own in 2012).

When Los Angeles folded in January 2010, she joined FC Gold Pride, who selected her with the first pick in  the WPS supplemental draft. She repeated as the league's top scorer that season and helped Gold Pride win the WPS Championship with a 4-0 win over Philadelphia on 26 September. Just over two months later, she was named World Player of the Year for a fifth time, setting a new record.

She came close to extending the record in 2011 and 2012, but finished second in the voting for both years, first to Japan's Homare Sawa and then to the USA's Abby Wambach.

21 April 2007 - Arsenal Win The Champions League

On 21 April 2007, Arsenal Ladies defeated hosts Umeå IK 0-1 in the first leg of the UEFA Women's Cup Final. Arsenal full-back Alex Scott (pictured on the left) provided the late match-winner with a 25-yard rocket in stoppage time.

It was the fourth final in six years for Umeå, who had won it twice and were heavy favorites over Arsenal. The Swedes had breezed through the tournament, winning every match they had played, from the group stage to the semifinals. Arsenal, making their first Final appearance, had similarly gone undefeated, but had conceded one draw - a 2-2 scoreline against Danish side Brøndby IF in the first leg of the semifinals.

The Swedes created loads of chances, particularly from their forward pairing of Hanna Ljungberg and Marta, but they were constantly denied by goalkeeper Emma Byrne and the rest of the Arsenal defense. The match appeared to be headed for a draw when, in the second minute of stoppage time, Scott rushed forward and rifled a shot just under the bar. The match ended one minute later.

The teams met in London for the second leg on 29 April, but battled to a scoreless draw that gave Arsenal the title. It was part of an historic quadruple for the club, who also won that season's league title, the FA Women's Cup, and the FA Women's Premier League Cup.

UEFA has since rebranded the Women's Cup as the UEFA Women's Champions League.

17 December 2007 - Yet Another Brazilian Hat-Trick

On 17 December 2007, FIFA presented its World Player of the Year awards. It was a sweep for Brazil, with Kaká and Marta named World Player of the Year and Women's World Player of the Year, respectively. It was the first--and to date only--time a single nation claimed both awards.

Earlier that year, Kaká led AC Milan to the 2006-07 Champions League title, finishing as the tournament's top scorer with 10 goals. Marta, meanwhile, had helped her club, Swedish side Umeå IK, claim a double, winning both the league and the Swedish Cup. She also led them to that year's UEFA Women's Cup Final, where they lost to Arsenal LFC, 1-0.

The 2007 award was the second consecutive Player of the Year award for Marta, who won it a third time in 2008.

Brazil walked away with a total of three honors, as FIFA conferred the 2007 Presidential Award on Pelé for his years of service to the game.