Carli Lloyd established herself as the greatest player in women's soccer with a World Cup for the ages — now she has the hardware to prove it.
The U.S. national team star was named the 2015 Women's World Player of the Year on Monday, claiming the honor over Germany's Celia Sasic and Japan's Aya Miyama.
Lloyd becomes just the third American to win the award, following Mia Hamm (2001 and 2002) and Abby Wambach (2012).
The 33-year-old claimed Golden Ball and Silver Shoe honors at the World Cup, scoring six goals in the knockout stage as the U.S. won its third title. She capped the run with a historic hat trick in the opening 16 minutes of the 5-2 final win over Japan, with her third strike — an audacious lob from midfield — also earning her a nomination for the FIFA Puskas Award.
Lloyd finished 2015 with 18 goals and five assists in 25 matches.
