Abby Wambach celebrated the United States impressive 5-2 victory over Japan in the World Cup final by embracing with her wife, Sarah Huffman, in front of the world on television. With the crowd roaring, Wambach ran to the stands to kiss her wife and celebrate the incredible win with her. The couple's embrace was the perfect way to celebrate an American win in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision to legalized same-sex marriage.
Wambach, 35, has said that this year's World Cup would be her last and final chance to win the title, according to CNN. When the soccer legend ran onto the field as a substitution in the 79 minute, the stadium erupted with chants of her name. She has scored more international goals (183) than any other person, man or woman, in FIFA history.
She was named FIFA's Women's World Player of the Year in 2012 and has two Olympic gold medals. Wambach and Huffman have been married since 2013 and Wambach has been a member of the U.S. national soccer team since 2001.
In 2011, Wambach scored an iconic goal in the 122nd minute against Brazil to lead the United States to the World Cup semifinals.
The significance of Wambach's kiss was not lost on gay rights supporters, who noted how far American culture has come since the last time the U.S. won the Women's World Cup in 1999.
Wambach kisses wife on national television and camera doesn't cut away. It zooms in. We've come a long way, folks. — Brigid Black (@brigidblack) July 6, 2015
Abby Wambach kissed her wife after winning the World Cup and the whole bar went, "awwwwwww". How far we have come!
— Anne-Marije Rook (@amrook) July 6, 2015
I hope younger people GET how huge it is that @AbbyWambach can kiss her wife in the stands on FOXTV and it's no big thing #Progress
