Briana Scurry is widely recognized as one of the world’s most talented and influential goalkeepers. Scurry’s 173 international appearances as one of the first African American and openly gay professional athletes championed equality and diversified the sport. In 2017, Scurry was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Named starting goalkeeper for the United States Women’s National Team in 1994, Scurry led the team on an illustrious run that included two Olympic gold medals. In the 1999 FIFA World Cup Championship – which represented one of the most seminal events in American athletic history – Briana made the iconic penalty kick save that carried the United States to victory.
Scurry pioneered the first paid professional women’s soccer league as a founding player in 2001. A debilitating concussion led to her retirement in 2010. Since then, Scurry has repurposed her visibility to become one of the nation’s foremost advocates for increased awareness for traumatic brain injuries.
Through her impact on the landscape of women’s soccer and American sports culture, Briana was selected to the United States Women’s National Team’s All-Time Best XI and was selected as the permanent Title IX Exhibit in the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
In 2022, Scurry released her best-selling memoir, My Greatest Save, and was also the subject of The Only, a CBS feature-length documentary chronicling her life. In 2023, Scurry served as the commencement speaker and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Public Service degree from her alma mater, The University of Massachusetts Amherst.
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Briana has been a predominant, permanent exhibit of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, since the museum opened on September 24th in Washington, D.C. She is featured in the museum’s Title IX exhibit for her invaluable contributions to African American women in sports, education, and community.
Briana has donated a plethora of game-worn apparel and equipment, U.S. Women’s National Team memorabilia, and personal treasures to the Smithsonian Institution. The National Museum of African American History and Culture will use these gifts in exhibitions, scholarly programming, and educational sessions for Smithsonian staff and visitors alike. Not only her inclusion in the museum – but the opportunity for her legacy to inspire those that care about the exploration of African American culture – is both a great honor and lifetime achievement.
“Inclusion in the National Museum of African American History and Culture is a lifetime achievement. My personal victories fail in comparison to knowing my career has inspired and motivated others to break down barriers. It is my hope that the stories told through the NMAAHC educate and inspire the next generation of game changers.”
— Briana Scurry
“Soccer had already given me so much more than I could possibly give back. Now, to be inducted alongside the likes of Michelle Akers, Mia Hamm, and Kristine Lilly – I am truly humbled. Thank you for letting me play for you, and thank you all for this incredible honor.”
— Briana Scurry
The National Soccer Hall of Fame came to life in 1950 and almost 30 years later in 1979 the National Soccer Museum, as a physical entity, was established in Oneonta, N.Y. It was officially recognized as the National Soccer Hall of Fame by the U.S. Soccer Federation in 1983 and today nearly 300 members have been elected to the Hall of Fame for their outstanding contributions to American soccer, both on and off the field.
In 2017, Briana was elected as a player inductee, capping off a career that includes winning, or earning, every major honor in the sport.
Briana Scurry is thrilled and humbled to announce that she is now a permanent part of the FIFA World Football Museum! Her gloves and jersey from the 1999 Women’s World Cup Championship have a new permanent home at the FIFA World Football Museum. See below for more information about the Museum and visit the website http://www.fifamuseum.com/
FIFA has created the FIFA World Football Museum to celebrate the rich heritage of football and to show how the game continues to connect and inspire the world.
The FIFA World Football Museum tells the story of how world football’s governing body has developed association football globally and made it the undisputed number one sport in the world, uniting nations and bringing continents together.
Pride of place in the FIFA World Football Museum is the FIFA World Cup™ Gallery. A must-see for all fans, the gallery is dedicated to the history of football’s ultimate prize and will host an incredible collection in a stunning architectural setting where the jewel of the exhibition – the FIFA World Cup Trophy – is on display.
With a multitude of attractions, audiovisual experiences and thought-provoking exhibitions, the FIFA World Football Museum shows the impact football has had on society, and how it is a source of inspiration for fans across the globe.
“I am thrilled and humbled to be a permanent part of the FIFA World Football Museum!”
— Briana Scurry
"Being a part of the first team to ever win a gold medal in women’s soccer at the Olympics is one of the most memorable moments of my career. To be recognized as a team for what we were able to accomplish and to be inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame is a tremendous honor.”
— Briana Scurry
In 1996, the U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer Team won the inaugural gold medal in women’s soccer at the Olympic Games in Atlanta. Playing in front of 76,481 fans in the gold-medal match, the most spectators ever to attend a female sporting event at the time, the U.S. defeated China 2-1.
As part of the Class of 2004, the 1996 U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer Team was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.
