National soccer stars Sam Kerr and Kristie Mewis started dating during the COVID-19 pandemic and have been together ever since.
Rumors about the U.S. national player and Australian captain started circulating following an intimate moment between the two after Australia lost to Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. The couple later revealed that they had been dating since 2020 in a January 2023 interview with Gaffer.
“We were forced to talk,” Mewis said at the time.
“Literally forced to talk,” Kerr chimed in. “It was about three or four months until we could hang out in person. The first time we ever met there was quarantine so we had to spend two weeks together the first time we met. I was thinking if I don’t like her this is going to be awkward.”
Luckily, the pair hit it off and fell deeply in love. After navigating a long-distance relationship for years, they announced their engagement in November 2023. One month later, Mewis signed with West Ham United and moved to London to be closer to her fiancée.
Despite their ups and downs, Mewis hopes their romance can serve as an inspiration to others.
“I think just being out and being two girls in love, I think if we can change one or two people’s lives and the way that they feel about each other and how comfortable they feel, then that means a lot to me,” Mewis told Gaffer in 2023.
Keep scrolling to see a timeline of their relationship:
July 2021
Team USA faced off against Australia in the Tokyo Olympics. After USA scored the bronze medal, Mewis sat on the field and gave Kerr a hug to help comfort her. The pair’s touching moment sparked dating rumors.
August 2021
After the couple’s moment on the field went viral, Kerr took to Instagram sharing a polaroid of the athletes kissing. Kerr captioned the post with a heart emoji and tagged Mewis, confirming the two’s relationship.
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November 2021
The long-distance couple reunited for a two-day game series held in Sydney, Australia. Though they faced each other on the pitch, Mewis shared a photo of the pair laughing while holding hands days before the first match.
“Lucky,” Mewis wrote at the time.
September 2022
Mewis shared an Instagram post honoring Kerr’s birthday. One of the photos featured the couple in an embrace with Mewis in an eye-catching blue top and skirt and Kerr in all black.
“Happy birthday baby,” Mewis captioned the post, adding a heart emoji at the end.
January 2023
Kerr and Mewis posed for Gaffer and opened up about their long distance relationship.
“I feel like we just make it work,” Mewis told Gaffer in January 2023. “Like it obviously sucks doing long distance, but we make it work.”
“We set little milestones,” Kerr added. “We make time during the week where we’ll watch the same show and FaceTime or have dinner together or something. But it’s tough. I think the thing that keeps us going is that we can see an end point.”
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July 2023
Before facing off at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, Mewis shared snippets of her life, including a screenshot of a FaceTime call she had with Kerr.
Though the U.S. team was eliminated in the Round of 16, Mewis showed up to cheer on Kerr for Australia’s match. After securing the win, Kerr ran over to the stands to give Mewis a big hug.
November 2023
The couple announced their engagement via Instagram in November, revealing that Kerr had gotten down on one knee months prior.
“September 1st, 2023,” Kerr captioned their announcement, though many had already suspected the news.
Photos of Mewis sporting an engagement ring circulated in September, leading to heavy speculation about a potential relationship milestone for the pair.
January 2024
Mewis shared a collection of photos with friends and family celebrating the engaged couple. The two took many photos with their guests and posed with a cake decorated with macarons and a sign reading, “Sam & Kristie.”
November 2024
The athletes took to Instagram to announce that Mewis is pregnant with their first child. “Mewis-Kerr baby coming 2025!” they captioned a joint post with snaps from a photo booth showing them holding the sonogram and pointing at Mewis’ stomach.