In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15), we’ve composed a list of top professional Latina players who should be on every soccer enthusiast’s radar. These women are not only exemplary players, but role models for young Latina socceristas who want to follow in their footsteps. Take a look at a few pros who are proud of their Latin heritage.

1. Amy Rodriguez

Thought it was about time to get the ball rolling on this whole Instagram thing A post shared by Amy Rodriguez (@amyrodriguez8) on Jul 23, 2015 at 2:27pm PDT

Just days after winning the 2015 U.S. Women’s FIFA World Cup, Amy Rodriguez tweeted, “I literally have it all.” And she does. The Cuban-American soccer star is a two-time Olympic Gold medalist, FIFA Women’s World Cup Champion, devoted wife and proud mama of two. She hopes her success, in both her career and in her personal life, inspire young Latina to pursue a soccer career.

“The potential is there, and I’m looking forward to finding out who the next Latina player will be,” she said in an interview with Latina.com. “It can be done!

She continued to explain how her family’s immigration to the U.S and their continued motivation helped her achieve that success.

“My paternal grandparents immigrated to the United States [from Cuba] in the 1950s with very little, and they started from the ground up. Even though my grandpa didn’t have a lot of money, he enrolled my dad in a private school, and worked extremely hard to give him a good, happy life. In the same way, my parents’ efforts have brought me where I am today. I’m committed to passing those values down to my own son. ”

2. Marta Vieira da Silva

Game day ⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️ A post shared by martavsilva10? (@martavsilva10) on Jul 1, 2017 at 7:22am PDT

The Brazilian soccerista is one of the most decorated players of all time. She is a two-time Olympic Silver Medalist, five-time FIFA World Player of the Year and has won multiple championships. She is considered to be one of the greatest soccer players of all time.

Aside from her lengthy soccer resume, Marta is also an equal rights activist. Since 2010, she has been a Goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme. She works with the UNDP to to achieve the Millennium Development Goals with a special emphasis on the empowerment of women.

Her own humble upbringings motivates her to help children from less fortunate areas in Brazil.

“I don’t forget my origins,” Marta said in an interview with UNDP. “I have been given opportunities to succeed in life, but I constantly think about the ones who did not have this chance.”

Marta has also made donations to her hometown of Dois Riachos, participated in UNDP Public Service Announcements to promote women’s empowerment and met with members of Sierra Leones Parliament who are lobbying to increase female representation.

3. Shirley Cruz

Gracias Costa Rica por tanto cariño siempre A post shared by Shirley Cruz (@shirleycruz28) on Jun 13, 2017 at 10:46pm PDT

The Costa Rican soccer sensation is the captain of the Paris Saint-German club, has played in four championships and is a three-time nominee for the best player of the Female Division 1 award by the National Union of Professional Footballers.

Although her resume isn’t as decorated as the other players on this list, she’s doing amazing considering she once thought she’d never earn a living from playing soccer.

In an interview with World Soccer Talk, she spoke about what it’s like living her dream career. As one of the top women soccer players, the PSG captain earns a monthly salary of 10,000 euros or about $11,000 a month.

“In Costa Rica, football (soccer) is just a way of getting an education.” she explained. “What happens is you go to the United States, attend college for four years (on a sports scholarship), so you can get yourself a decent career at the end of it all.”

Cruz was born in a poor neighborhood in the country’s capital of San Jose. She didn’t get her big break until a scout spotted her at a youth tournament in Canada and then brought her to Lyon, where her career would take flight.

“I have got the heart of a sports person and you have to get to this level,” she said.

She shows no signs of slowing down. Now that she is a soccer success and can make a living off of the game she loves, we can expect to see some amazing things in store for Cruz.

Featured photo via Instagram @amyrodriguez8