By Paige Albright
Boston University News Service
Now former United States National Women’s Team captain Samantha (Sam) Mewis announced on Jan. 19 that she is officially retiring from professional soccer.
Mewis, a three-time NWSL champion, Olympic gold medalist and World Cup champion, stated that lingering effects from an old knee injury have left her unable to meet the standards required to play at the professional level.
“Unfortunately, my knee can no longer tolerate the impact that elite soccer requires. Though this isn’t what I wanted, it is clear it is the only path forward,” said Mewis in a statement to Sports Illustrated.
Mewis was nicknamed the “Tower of Power” for her six-foot height, making her the tallest in the national team’s history, as well as her dominance in the midfield. Mewis was loved by fans and teammates alike for her skills and ability to cover the entire soccer field.
She was last named the U.S. Player of the Year in 2020 and was ranked number one on ESPN’s List of Best Female Players in the World the same year. Mewis has recorded 83 caps for the national team, an award players receive when they represent their country in international play, along with 24 goals. She is among just four Americans to win the women’s FA Cup, a tournament for women’s soccer teams in England, as she assisted her team Manchester City to victory in 2020.
Mewis has not played in a match since 2022 due to her knee injury and subsequent surgeries, her most recent surgery being performed in 2023. She will now move her career to sports broadcasting covering women’s soccer. Mewis is set to become the editor-in-chief of the women’s vertical, The Women’s Game, on the Men in Blazers Network.
