Most goals scored by USWNT in a World Cup match: USA soccer record in FIFA women's tournament

The world of women's soccer is gearing up for another global extravaganza as the USWNT gears up to defend its 2019 Women's World Cup title.

Team USA will open its 2023 Women's World Cup against Vietnam, a team making its first-ever appearance. The U.S. women's soccer team is a massive favorite over the debuting Golden Star Women Warriors, but the prevailing question isn't whether the USWNT will win, but by how much.

The last Women's World Cup opener by the USWNT saw Alex Morgan lead a 13-0 victory over Thailand, a dominating victory that saw her score five goals alone. That 2019 team went on to score 26 goals in the entire tournament, allowing their opponents a mere three in seven games. Truly outrageous.

With this being Megan Rapinoe's last Women's World Cup before retirement, there's a lot riding on the States' stakes. Prepare for a chaotic competition in the Gold Coast.

MORE: Meet all the USWNT players at FIFA Women's World Cup 2023

Will that lead to another similar blowout? Here's a look at the record the USWNT could attempt to break in the 2023 Women's World Cup:

Most goals scored by USWNT in Women's World Cup match

The USWNT's 13-0 victory over Vietnam on June 11, 2019 is not only the national-team record for most goals scored in a game, but also the Women's World Cup record.

Morgan scored five of the 13, while Rose Lavelle and Samantha June Mewis added two each. Rapinoe, Lindsey Horan, Mallory Swanson and Carli Lloyd added one each for the remaining four.

The game was over by the time Horan scored the USWNT's third goal at the 32-minute mark, but Team USA refused to let up, adding four more in a 6-minute span out of the break and another five in a 13-minute span just before the end of regulation. (For good measure, Lloyd added one last goal in extra time).

Here's a breakdown of the scoring in the dominant effort:

• 12': Alex Morgan header, assist by Kelley O'Hara (1-0 USA)
• 20': Rose Lavelle left-footed shot, assisted by Alex Morgan (2-0 USA)
• 32': Lindsey Horan right-footed shot, assisted by Samantha Mewis (3-0 USA)
• 50': Samantha Mewis left-footed shot, assisted by Megan Rapinoe (4-0 USA)
• 53': Alex Morgan left-footed shot (5-0 USA)
• 54': Samantha Mewis left-footed shot (6-0 USA)
• 56': Rose Lavelle left-footed shot, assisted by Samantha Mewis (7-0 USA)
• 74': Alex Morgan right-footed shot, assisted by Christen Press (8-0 USA)
• 79': Megan Rapinoe right-footed shot, assisted by Mallory Pugh (9-0 USA)
• 81': Alex Morgan left-footed shot, assisted by Megan Rapinoe (10-0 USA)
• 84': Mallory Pugh left-footed shot, assisted by Alex Morgan (11-0 USA)
• 87': Alex Morgan left-footed shot (12-0 USA)
• 90' + 2': Carli Lloyd right-footed shot, assisted by Alex Morgan (13-0 USA)

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USWNT largest margin of victory in Women's World Cup

The largest margin of victory for the USWNT in a Women's World Cup game is, coincidentally, the same game they scored the most goals: 13-0 vs. Thailand. This is also the FIFA record, and the feat is noted in the Guinness World Record Book.

Other notable blowouts in the Women's World Cup include an 11-0 victory by Germany over Argentina in the 2007 opener; a 10-0 win over the Ivory Coast in the 2015 opener; and a 10-1 Switzerland group stage victory over Ecuador in 2015.

Most goals by USWNT player in Women's World Cup match

In another show of dominance, two USWNT players — Michelle Akers and Morgan — share the record for most goals scored in a single match: five. Akers' haul came in the 1991 7-0 victory against Chinese Taipei, while Morgan's five came in the 13-0 victory over Thailand in 2019.

Only one other player in Women's World Cup history has scored more than three goals in a Women's World Cup game. That was Australia's Sam Kerr, who scored four in a 4-1 victory vs. Jamaica in 2019.

MORE: FIFA Women's World Cup records list of most popular marks, milestones

Most goals by U.S. player in single Women's World Cup

Akers holds the national-team and World Cup record for most goals in a single tournament: 10.

She has held that record since the first World Cup, held in 1991. She set the since-unbeaten mark by scoring one in a 5-0 win vs. Brazil; two in a 3-0 win over Japan; five in the 7-0 win over Chinese Taipei; and two in the 2-1 victory vs. Norway in the finals.

It is one of the longest-standing World Cup records. No player has managed to surpass the American's feat in the first eight different editions of the globe's leading soccer competition. Maybe ninth time's the charm?

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Most goals by USWNT in single Women's World Cup

The USWNT owns the record for most goals scored as a team in a single World Cup. They broke the previous mark in 2019, setting a new record with 26 goals. Here's how the U.S. accumulated the record-breaking mark (helped greatly by the 13-0 victory over Thailand):

• 13-0 victory vs. Thailand (13 total)
• 3-0 victory vs. Chile (16 total)
• 2-0 victory vs. Sweden (18 total)
• 2-1 victory vs. Spain (20 total)
• 2-1 victory vs. France (22 total)
• 2-1 victory vs. England (24 total)
• 2-0 victory vs. Netherlands (26 total)

The previous mark was set by the USWNT in 1991, with 25 goals scored; Germany tied the mark in 2003.

USWNT all-time World Cup scorers

Abby Wambach is the USWNT's all-time leading scorer in the Women's World Cup, owning the national-team record with 14 total (three goals scored in 2003, six in 2007, four in 2011 and one in 2015).

She is tied for second all time with Germany's Birgit Prinz, who scored her goals across five World Cups from 1995 through 2011. Only Brazil's Marta (17 goals from 2003 through 2019) has more World Cup goals.

Among USWNT players, only three have scored double-digit goals: Wambach (14), Akers (12) and Lloyd (10). Two more players, Morgan and Rapinoe, have a chance to challenge that record in 2023. Here's a breakdown of the USWNT's all-time leading scorers in the World Cup:

*on the 2023 Women's World Cup roster