Germany's Šašić joins star striker centurions

On Wednesday, Germany striker Celia Šašić won her 100th Germany cap against Sweden at the Algarve Cup – bringing up that tally at the age of 26 with 55 international goals to her name.

Formerly known by her maiden name of Okoyino da Mbabi, Šašić came to prominence in helping Germany to victory at the 2004 FIFA U-19 Women's World Cup and made her senior debut the next year. Triumphant at both UEFA Women's EURO 2009 (where she scored in the semi-final defeat of Norway) and 2013 (when, including qualifying, Šašić totalled a record 19 goals), she has been the undisputed leader of the line since the retirements of Birgit Prinz and Inka Grings.

In honour of Šašić's century, UEFA.com looks at six other celebrated international forwards who reached 100 caps.

©Getty Images

Birgit Prinz (Germany)
Whatever records Šašić might eventually break, they are probably held by Prinz. No European has more caps or national-team goals, she has won five UEFA Women's EUROs and two FIFA Women's World Cups – both joint bests – and is the equal all-time leading scorer in World Cup and Olympic final tournaments.

• Caps: 214
• Goals: 128
• Tournament appearances: 5 World Cups, 4 Olympics, 5 Women's EURO
• Tournament victories: 2 World Cups, 5 Women's EURO
• Plus: FIFA Women's World Player of the Year 2003, 2004, 2005

©Sportsfile

Patrizia Panico (Italy)*
Other than the United States, only Italy has produced three women with 100 international goals according to FIFA's lists. Following in Elisabetta Vignotto and Caroline Morace's footsteps is Panico, still Italy's key player aged 40. She took just five minutes to score on her 1996 Azzurre debut against Portugal and in her senior career overall has well over 700 goals and counting.

• Caps: 196
• Goals: 107
• Tournament appearances: 1 World Cups, 5 Women's EURO
• Tournament best: Women's EURO runner-up (1997)
• Plus: In her 19 full Serie A seasons, Panico has averaged more than a goal per game 13 times and landed nine titles.

©Getty Images

Hege Riise (Norway)
On target in the 1995 World Cup final against Prinz's Germany, Riise was both top scorer and player of the tournament in Sweden that summer. Then in 2000 she inspired Norway to be the only team to deny the USA a women's football Olympic gold in the five editions of the event to date.

• Caps: 188
• Goals: 58
• Tournament appearances: 4 World Cups, 2 Olympics, 4 Women's EURO
• Tournament victories: 1 World Cup, 1 Olympics, 1 Women's EURO
• Plus: Riise and compatriots Gro Espeseth and Bentre Nordby alone have won all three of those competitions

Pia Sundhage (Sweden)
Primarily a forward but able to excel anywhere on the pitch, Sundhage struck the winning penalty in the first European final of 1984, the brightest highlight among many in a 21-year international playing career. Her Sweden goals record has been subsequently beaten by Hanna Ljungberg and Lotta Schelin – the latter doing so under the coaching guidance of Sundhage, whose switch to Sweden followed two Olympic golds at the US helm.

• Caps: 146
• Goals: 71
• Tournament appearances: 2 World Cups, 1 Olympics, 4 Women's EURO
• Tournament victories: 1 Women's EURO
• Plus: Sundhage appeared in the inaugural final tournaments of all three major competitions.

©Getty Images

Julie Fleeting (Scotland)*
Last month Fleeting came off the bench for Scotland in a 4-0 defeat of Northern Ireland to end an international absence since August 2011. Second behind Prinz as the top European international goalscorer and sixth worldwide, Fleeting's goal a game ratio is better than any of those above her in the all-time table. Scotland are yet to feature at a major finals but Fleeting may help them break that duck at UEFA Women's EURO 2017, when she will still only be 36.

• Caps: 121
• Goals: 116
• Plus: As a schoolgirl Fleeting represented Scotland at basketball and had a trial with the national hockey squad.

Kelly Smith (England)
Fleeting's former Arsenal LFC colleague Smith recently closed a national-team chapter that had helped England rise to be among the women's football elite, despite a succession of serious injuries. England's all-time top scorer in a 19-year international career, her highlights were proving central to a run to the 2007 World Cup quarter-finals and then at UEFA Women's EURO 2009 scoring against Russia from the centre circle and claiming a stunning goal in the final defeat by Germany.

• Caps: 117
• Goals: 46
• Tournament appearances: 2 World Cups, 1 Olympics, 4 Women's EURO
• Tournament best: Women's EURO runner-up (2009)
• Plus: Smith was in the top five of the FIFA Women's Player of the Year voting four times from 2006 to 2009.

*Still playing at international level