Homare Sawa

is a former Japanese football player. She played for the Japan national team.
Biography.
As a professional athlete, she was played with the Women's United Soccer Association from 2001 to 2003. In 2004 she was named Women's Player of the Year for the Asian Football Confederation. In 2009 and 2010, Sawa was part of Women's Professional Soccer.
Sawa has played for the Japan national team, including the team which won the 2011 World Cup. She participated in the last five World Cups. Sawa was part of the women's team at the 1996, the 2004, the 2008. She was a member of the team which won a silver medal in the 2012 Summer Olympics at London.
Honors.
In 2012, Sawa was named the "FIFA Women's World Player of the Year". In ceremonies in Switzerland, she was awarded the 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or. Japanese government officials commented that Sawa and her team-mates inspired confidence after the devastation caused by 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.