Former USWNT midfielder and World Cup winner Sam Mewis opened up about her difficult decision to retire from soccer at the age of 31. Mewis, whose career has been plagued by a persistent knee injury, emphasized the importance of prioritizing her health over her professional aspirations.

“The decision to step away was really difficult and clearly it took me a really long time to accept but overall I think that prioritizing my health as a person became really important to me,” Mewis said, via ESPN.

Mewis battled a cartilage injury in her knee for seven years, forcing her to focus extensively on rehabilitation.

“After about two, two and a half years of really just rehabbing my knee every day it became clear to me my knee couldn't handle the impact that elite soccer requires,” she said. “(I) actually feel really fortunate that I was able to play on it as long as I did.”

She persisted through multiple surgeries and consultations with several medical professionals while she was playin, yet the physical demands of the game ultimately led to her decision to retire.

“It just took a lot of time and a lot of acceptance that physically I was unable to return to the game at the level required,” Mewis said. “(I had) a lot of mixed emotions honestly and a lot of long conversations with my family and close friends. It's been a tough couple of years.”

Reflecting on her career, Mewis reminisced about her peak performance period, particularly her time with Manchester City.

“Maybe some time in 2020 which is crazy to say with the pandemic, into 2021, I was at Man City I felt I was playing really well,” she said. Unfortunately, the need for surgery and the subsequent recovery period meant she couldn't regain her top form.

Mewis' resume is impressive. She was instrumental in the U.S. team's 2019 World Cup victory, played a key role in securing bronze at the Tokyo Olympic,  scoring 24 goals in 83 appearances for the national team. Her club career was equally impressive, including scoring 16 goals in 32 games for Manchester City between 2020-21 and being named in the Women's Super League PFA Team of the Year. In the NWSL, she won four titles playing for teams like North Carolina Courage and Kansas City Current.