Kamila Beregszásziová
Who was Kamila Beregszásziová?
Slovak women's footballer who plays as a defender and has represented Slovakia at international level.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Kamila Beregszásziová (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Kamila Beregszásziová, born on May 3, 1980, in Košice, Slovakia, became a key player in the early days of Slovak women's football. Mainly playing as a defender, she represented Slovakia internationally during a critical time for developing the women's game in Slovakia and Europe. Her role was significant as women's football was still finding its place in post-communist Central Europe.
Beregszásziová debuted for the Slovak senior national team at just 16, showing remarkable skill for someone so young. Her early selection by national team coaches suggested a long international career ahead. Notably, in her second international appearance, she played against Norway, the reigning FIFA Women's World Cup champions at that time, facing top-level competition as a teenager.
In 2001, she gained international recognition by finishing 20th in the first FIFA Women's World Player of the Year award. This made her the first Slovak female footballer to be acknowledged by FIFA in this way, placing her among the world's top women's players in that year's voting. This achievement not only highlighted her talent but also brought global attention to women's football in Slovakia.
Despite her promising career, Beregszásziová retired early in 2002 at just 21. Her career was short, but her impact on Slovak women's football was significant. Her quick rise from a teenage debut to a FIFA-nominated player showed the concentrated talent of her football career.
Before Fame
Beregszásziová grew up in Košice, the second-biggest city in Slovakia, during the final years of Czechoslovakia and the early period of Slovak independence after the Velvet Divorce of 1993. Women's football in the area had limited resources and infrastructure at that time. However, young players in cities like Košice could join club football through local associations that were slowly aligning with UEFA and FIFA structures. She developed as a player during this period of change as Slovak football worked to build its own national identity separate from the Czechoslovak football tradition.
Her quick rise to the senior national team by age 16 shows she was a standout in the Slovak women's club system from an early age. The late 1990s saw UEFA expanding women's competitions and FIFA preparing to start formal individual awards for women players. So, Beregszásziová's career happened right when women's football started getting more global attention and investment.
Key Achievements
- Made her debut for the Slovak senior women's national team at age 16
- Faced reigning FIFA Women's World Cup champions Norway in only her second international appearance
- Finished 20th in the inaugural FIFA Women's World Player of the Year award in 2001
- Became the first Slovak female footballer to be nominated for a FIFA individual award
- Represented Slovakia as a defender during the foundational era of the national women's program
Did You Know?
- 01.She made her senior international debut for Slovakia at just 16 years old, an unusually young age for a defender.
- 02.Only her second cap for Slovakia came against Norway, who were the reigning FIFA Women's World Cup champions at that time.
- 03.She was the first Slovak female footballer ever to receive a FIFA Women's World Player of the Year nomination.
- 04.Her FIFA award nomination came in 2001, the very first year the award was ever presented, meaning she was among a historically unique group of nominees.
- 05.She retired from professional football in early 2002 at only 21 years of age, ending one of the most decorated early careers in Slovak women's football history.