US forward Wambach named world's best player

Wambach is the first American to be voted as the world's best since now-retired great Mia Hamm won the 2002 women's award.

The 32-year-old Wambach edged five-time winner Marta of Brazil and her national team strike partner Alex Morgan and in the voting.

"Thank you for challenging me every day, Alex especially," Wambach said to her rivals on the three-player shortlist after receiving the trophy from teammate Hope Solo at FIFA's annual ceremony celebrating world football.

On a marquee night for the U.S. team, coach Pia Sundhage won the FIFA coaching award for women's football.

The Swedish coach serenaded Wambach and Morgan in her acceptance speech, delighting the Zurich Kongresshaus audience by singing a verse of the Bob Dylan song 'If Not For You.'

Wambach got 20.67 percent of the voting points cast by national team coaches and captains around the world, plus invited media, who gave their top-three lists from an original slate of 10 players. Marta scored 13.50 percent and Morgan tallied 10.87 percent.

Wambach scored five times at the London Games as the U.S. won its third straight Olympic title. Her late penalty in a tense semifinal against Canada leveled the match at 3-3. Morgan scored the eventual winning goal deep into stoppage time at the end of extra time.

Wambach's career total of 152 international goals is closing in on Hamm's world record of 158.