Marinette Pichon (French pronunciation: [maʁinɛt piʃɔ̃]; born 26 November 1975) is a French former football player.[1]
Pichon had a dysfunctional childhood with an alcoholic father.[2][3][4][5]
She started her career at Saint-Memmie Olympique, then signed on to the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), the American professional league. She played for the Philadelphia Charge during their 2002 and 2003 seasons, in 2002 ranking second in the league in goals scored and winning the Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year awards.[6] In 2003, she tied for the lead in goals scored and led the league in goals per game.[7]
After the WUSA disbanded in 2003, she returned to France, where she played for Juvisy FCF. She was the leading domestic scorer in the 2000/01, 2001/02, 2004/05, and 2005/06 seasons. She also played for the New Jersey Wildcats in the American W-League during their 2004 season, leading the league that year in both goals scored and total points despite playing in only ten matches.[8]
She appeared for France from 1994 until 2006, announcing her retirement at the age of 31 following France's elimination from World Cup qualifying. During her career, she scored 81 goals in 112 international matches.[9][10] She played for France at the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup.[11]
In November 2012, a change in law gave Pichon the distinction of being the second woman in France to be granted "paternity" leave. Her wife gave birth to their son following in vitro fertilisation (IVF).[12] Pichon received a Legion of Honour.[13][14]
In 2023, Garance Marillier portrayed Pichon in Marinette, a biographical film of her life adapted from Pichon's autobiography Ne jamais rien lâcher.[15]