How 'best in the world’ Naomi Girma is leading the USWNT from the back at Paris 2024 Olympics
If the world didn’t already know who Naomi Girma is, they most certainly will after the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The women’s football tournament has proven what many have known for years now – that she is one of the best defenders in the world.
At just 24, Girma sits comfortably among the greatest defenders in the game and has held down the fort of the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) backline in Paris.
In what was a somewhat subdued quarter-final tie with Japan, Girma completed 105 passes in the first-half alone.
It is the most successful pass by any player in a knockout-round match in a major tournament since records began.
Against Zambia, her pass completion stood at 96.3 per cent, the most of any player in an Olympic match since at least 2012.
To have such a calm and composed nature at the back has paid dividends for the USWNT, who have been able to rely on Girma as a stalwart in defence.
When things have changed or differed from the norm, she has been the mainstay, seamlessly so.
And it is not just her passing that impresses. An immensely intelligent player who reads the game well, she always manages to shift into the right place at the right time, making those all-important interceptions or blocks.
If the USWNT go on to beat Brazil to gold on Saturday (10 August), Girma will no doubt be the core pillar of their success.
Naomi Girma: Embracing the role of a leader
She may only be two years into her time with the national team, but Girma is already a bonafide leader among her teammates.
That sentiment was emphasised with the arrival of Emma Hayes, who turns to her as a vice-captain.
If standing captain Lindsey Horan is withdrawn, it is Girma who wears the armband.
But leading the team is so much more than that, as she told us in an exclusive interview prior to the Games.
“I feel like I’ve had a lot of guidance, I’ve seen a lot of positive behaviour modelled from leaders that are within the team,” she said.
“Within the national team, it’s not just one leader who is bringing the team along, it is everyone doing their part, pulling their weight, and leading in their own way.
“I think that has been really emphasised within the group and for me, being younger, [it gives me] that freedom to lead in my own way and just bring the best of my qualities to the group and I’ve grown more comfortable in that position.”
Hayes’s high praise for Girma
As if it wasn’t already high praise enough for your manager to trust you with the captain’s armband, Hayes has publicly declared just how good she thinks Girma is.
“She is the best defender I’ve ever seen… ever,” the USA boss praised, following their 1-0 victory over Germany.
“I’ve never seen a player as good as her in the back.”
The sentiment is echoed by USWNT goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, who compared her to one of their side’s best-ever defenders in Becky Sauerbrunn.
“She reminds me a lot of Becky, honestly,” she remarked.
“Just in demeanour and the way she goes about (her business) and carries herself. [She] digs in deep and gets the job done.
“All the respect in the world for her.”
The four-time Olympic champions are looking to add a remarkable fifth to their ranks on Saturday, and for Girma, it is a chance to secure a first major international title.