In what country did Mia Hamm learn to play soccer?

Mia Hamm learned to play soccer while her family was living in Italy. Her father served in the United States Air Force, so the family moved frequently, and Hamm has recalled that living in Italy helped introduce her to the sport.

Hamm was born in Selma, Alabama, in 1972, but spent much of her childhood on military bases. She first played soccer while living in Florence, where the game was part of the local culture. After the family returned to the United States, she joined her first organized soccer team in Wichita Falls, Texas, at age five.

That early start led to one of the most influential careers in women’s soccer. Hamm became the youngest player ever to appear for the United States national team when she debuted at age 15 in 1987. She later won two Women’s World Cups and Olympic gold medals in 1996 and 2004, helping make women’s soccer more visible in the United States.

Italy is sometimes confused with Texas because Wichita Falls was where Hamm joined her first formal team. The question asks where she learned the game, however, and the accepted answer is Italy.