Michelle Anne Akers (formerly Akers-Stahl; born February 1, 1966) is an American former soccer player who starred in the 1991 and 1999 Women's World Cup and 1996 Olympics victories by the United States.

[9] She was Central Florida's Athlete of the Year in 1988–89, was the all-time leading scorer in UCF history,[9] won the Hermann Trophy in 1988 as the nation's top college soccer player,[9] and had her #10 jersey retired by the school.

[11] Akers was a member of the 1985 United States women's national soccer team (USWNT) for its first-ever game, at a tournament in Italy in August 1985.

[9] Akers was also the lead scorer in the inaugural FIFA Women's World Cup in China in 1991, scoring ten goals, including five in one game.

[13][14] Throughout most of her career, Akers was afflicted by chronic fatigue syndrome, repeatedly considering retirement only to continue playing in some of U.S. Soccer's most significant matches.

[15] After the 1991 World Cup, she shifted from striker to central midfielder, in part to minimize the beatings doled out by opposing defenders.

She played with a torn medial collateral ligament in the holding central midfielder role, anchoring the team's defense, dominating in the air, and playmaking out of the back to maintain possession and generate goal-scoring opportunities.

[19] Shortly before the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, Akers retired from the game due to injuries incurred before and during the 1999 FIFA World Cup.