A nagging injury is forcing Sam Mewis to hang up her cleats prematurely. The U.S. women's soccer star and four-time NWSL champion retired from professional soccer on Friday, unable to play through discomfort in her right knee that's already required multiple surgeries.

Mewis announced the news on Twitter.

“Unfortunately, my knee can no longer tolerate the impact that elite soccer requires,” she said. “Though this isn't what I wanted, it's clear that this is the only path forward for me.”

The Massachusetts native also has plans to help other professional athletes manage the emotional tolls of being forced to retire early.

“I plan to share more about the journey of my injury someday. I know that there are many athletes who have faced the unique struggles of stepping from sport early and I think these stories deserve to be told — and heard,” she said.

Mewis accrued 83 caps for the national team during her career, scoring 24 goals and doling out 10 assists from her position in the midfield. She made her first and only appearance at the FIBA World Cup in 2019, helping the Americans to gold. Her older sister, Kristie, also spent time with the U.S. Women's National Team.

Mewis enjoyed an even more decorated career in the NWSL, winning three championships across her tenure with the (now defunct) Western New York Flash, North Carolina Courage and Kansas City Current, for whom she played in 2023.

In 2020, Mewis was named the U.S. Soccer Women's Player of the Year while splitting time between the Courage and EPL's Manchester City.

While the 31-year-old's playing days are over, Mewis is hardly leaving the soccer world altogether. She is set to soon join the Men in Blazers Media Network, leading the outlet's women's soccer coverage.