How Ada Hegerberg became one of the best female strikers of all time

Ada Hegerberg is one of the biggest stars in women's football. The Norwegian excels at both club and international level, winning numerous trophies and awards. This is Ada Hegerberg's journey to football greatness.

Hegerberg was born on 10 July 1995 in the Norwegian town of Molde, but grew up in Sunndalsøra and later moved to Kolbotn.

It would not take long for Hegerberg to take her first steps in football. As a young girl, she played for Sunndal, and later she would join Kolbotn IL, where she would make her debut in the first team and play alongside her sister Andrine.

Hegerberg impressed at Kolbotn, scoring a hat-trick at just 16 years old against Røa, making her the youngest player to ever do so in the Toppserien, Norway's top women's football league.

In 2012, Hegerberg joined Stabaek, where she would continue to make a name for herself.

Hegerberg was one of the best strikers in the Toppserien, and helped Stabaek win the 2012 Norwegian Women's Cup with a hat-trick in the final.

Hegerberg's good performance attracted interest from abroad, and it was Germany's 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam that pulled the trigger and contracted Hegerberg until mid-June 2014. At Potsdam, she would score 14 goals in 33 appearances.

In 2014, Hegerberg signed a contract with Olympique Lyon, where she would become a superstar in women's football.

Hegerberg got off to an excellent start in France and scored 26 goals in her first league season, winning the Division 1 Féminine title. On top of that, Lyon bagged the Coupe de France.

In 2015/16, Hegerberg's stats were staggering. She scored 54 goals in just 33 appearances for Lyon, immediately catapulting her to the status of one of the best, if not the best, strikers in women's football.

Hegerberg's exceptional performances helped Lyon to a treble in 2015/16 (league, cup and Champions League), a feat the French giant would repeat several times with the Norwegian in the ranks.

Hegerberg and Lyon were the dominant factors in French women's football for years, but also dominated Europe. The Norwegian striker and the French club won the Champions League no fewer than six times from 2016 to 2022, with Hegerberg becoming the competition's all-time top scorer in 2019.

Hegerberg won numerous individual trophies during her career, with the 2018 inaugural Ballon d'Or as a possible highlight.

The Ballon d'Or ceremony was marred by an incident with Martin Solveig, however, in which the DJ asked Hegerberg if she knew how to twerk. Hegerberg did not seem amused and replied with a firm "no".

On an international level, Hegerberg has been Norway's best player for many years. She made her debut on 19 November 2011 aged 16.

In 2013, she reached the final of the Women's Euros, but lost 1-0 to Germany.

Two years later, she represented Norway at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, where she scored three goals in the group stage. Hegerberg and her teammates were eliminated in the Round of 16, but her performances earned her a nomination for the Best Young Player Award.

In 2017, Hegerberg decided to stop representing Norway because she disagreed with the Norwegian Football Association's treatment of women's football. Because of this decision, Hegerberg missed the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.

In 2022, Hegerberg decided to make her comeback in the Norwegian national team, and she did so in spectacular fashion.

After her return, Hegerberg immediately scored a hat-trick against Kosovo in the qualifiers for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. Norway then secured qualification for the tournament and Hegerberg was included in the selection.

Norway hope Hegerberg continues to represent the country in women's football, while Lyon trust her to score many more goals for the club in the future. But whatever happens, Hegerberg is already considered one of the legends in women's football.