Sam Kerr facts for kids
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Kerr at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Samantha May Kerr | ||
| Date of birth | 10 September 1993 | ||
| Place of birth | East Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia | ||
| Height | 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Chelsea | ||
| Number | 20 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2006–2008 | Western Knights | ||
| WA NTC | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2008–2011 | Perth Glory | 22 | (5) |
| 2012–2014 | Sydney FC | 24 | (13) |
| 2013–2014 | Western New York Flash | 41 | (15) |
| 2014–2019 | Perth Glory | 49 | (52) |
| 2015–2017 | Sky Blue FC | 40 | (28) |
| 2018–2019 | Chicago Red Stars | 43 | (35) |
| 2020– | Chelsea | 75 | (58) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2008–2009 | Australia U17 | 12 | (4) |
| 2008–2009 | Australia U20 | 12 | (4) |
| 2009– | Australia | 128 | (69) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20 December 2023 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 1 November 2023 |
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Samantha May Kerr OAM (born 10 September 1993) is an Australian professional soccer player. She plays as a striker for Women's Super League club Chelsea. She also plays for the Australia women's national team, which she has been captain of since 2019. Sam Kerr is known for her speed, skill, and determination. Many people consider her one of the best strikers in the world and one of Australia's greatest athletes.
Kerr is Australia's all-time leading international scorer, with 69 international goals. She was also the all-time leading scorer in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in the United States until 2024. She is the only female soccer player to have won the Golden Boot (top scorer award) in three different leagues and on three different continents. These leagues are the W-League (Australia/New Zealand), the NWSL (North America), and the Women's Super League (Europe).
Sam Kerr started her career at age 15 with Perth Glory. She played there from 2008 to 2012 before moving to Sydney FC. In 2013, she joined the Western New York Flash for the first NWSL season. She helped the team win the NWSL Shield. Later, she played for Sky Blue FC and the Chicago Red Stars in the same league. In 2019, Kerr wanted to play in Europe. After getting many offers, she signed with Chelsea. With Chelsea, she has won 8 trophies, including three Women's Super League titles in a row. She also helped the team reach the UEFA Women's Champions League final for the first time in 2021.
Kerr played her first senior international game in 2009 when she was 15. She has represented Australia in many major tournaments. These include the AFC Women's Asian Cup (2010, 2014, 2018, 2022), the FIFA Women's World Cup (2011, 2015, 2019, 2023), and the Summer Olympics (2016, 2020). During the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, she became the first Australian player to score a hat-trick at a World Cup. In 2021, she captained the team to their first-ever semi-final in a major tournament at the 2020 Summer Olympics. They finished in their best-ever 4th place.
Contents
Early Life and Start in Soccer
Sam Kerr was born in East Fremantle, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Her father, Roger Kerr, was a professional Australian rules football player. Her older brother, Daniel Kerr, also played Australian rules football professionally.
Sam played Australian rules football when she was young. She switched to soccer at age 12, mainly because of rules about girls playing Australian rules football. Even though it was a big change, her talent was noticed quickly. At 13, Perth Glory striker Bobby Despotovski saw her play and called her athleticism "exceptional." By age 15, she made her debut in the W-League and for the Australian national team.
Club Career Highlights
Playing for Perth Glory (2008–2011)
Kerr started playing junior football at Western Knights. After three years, she tried out for the Western Australian State Team and then joined Perth Glory.
She made her debut for Perth Glory at 15 during the 2009 W-League season. She was voted Players' Player and won Goal of the Year for a long-range goal against Sydney FC. In the 2010–11 season, she played all 10 matches and scored three goals.
Western New York Flash (2013–2014)
In 2013, Kerr signed with the Western New York Flash. She played 21 games and scored six goals. The Flash reached the final but lost to Portland.
She returned to the Flash for the 2014 season. Her coach, Aaran Lines, believed she could become one of the best strikers in the world. Kerr started all 20 matches and was the team's top scorer with 9 goals. After the 2014 season, she was traded to Sky Blue FC.
Return to Perth Glory (2014–2019)
In August 2014, Kerr returned to Perth Glory. She scored 11 goals in 10 games in the 2014 season, including a hat-trick against Sydney FC.
In the 2016–17 W-League season, she scored ten goals and led the team to the Grand Final. She won the Julie Dolan Medal for best player. In October 2018, she became the W-League's first "marquee player," meaning she was paid a special high salary to stay in Perth. In the 2018–19 W-League season, she was the top scorer with 17 goals, including a hat-trick in the semi-final.
Sky Blue FC (2015–2017)
In 2015, Kerr joined Sky Blue FC. She scored six goals in nine games, making her the team's top scorer.
In the 2017 season, Kerr set a new NWSL record by scoring 4 goals in one game. Sky Blue came back from being down 3–0 to win 5–4 against Seattle Reign. At 23, Kerr became the NWSL's all-time leading goal scorer. She won the NWSL Golden Boot (top scorer) and MVP award with a record-breaking 17 goals.
Chicago Red Stars (2018–2019)
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On 18 January 2018, Kerr was traded to the Chicago Red Stars. She scored 16 goals in the 2018 season and won the Golden Boot for the second year in a row. She was the first player to win the NWSL Golden Boot more than once.
At the end of the 2019 season, Kerr and the Chicago Red Stars reached their first NWSL Championship final, but lost 4–0. Days before the final, Kerr was named the 2019 NWSL MVP, becoming the only player to win the award twice. She also won the NWSL Golden Boot for the third year in a row, leading the league with 18 goals and five assists.
Chelsea (2020–Present)
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On 13 November 2019, WSL club Chelsea announced that Kerr would join them. She made her Chelsea debut on 5 January 2020 and scored her first goal two weeks later. She won her first trophy with Chelsea in the League Cup Final. Chelsea also won the 2019–20 FA WSL league title that season.
In the 2020 Women's FA Community Shield in August 2020, Kerr helped Chelsea win 2–0. She scored a hat-trick in the League Cup and was Chelsea's top scorer for the season. She helped Chelsea win her second Women's Super League title. She scored 21 goals in 22 games, winning the Golden Boot. This made her the first player to win the Golden Boot in three different leagues. That season, Kerr also helped Chelsea reach the UEFA Women's Champions League final for the first time.
During the 2021–22 WSL season, Kerr continued to play very well. On 16 November 2021, she signed a new two-year contract with Chelsea. She scored the winning goal in a Champions League match and her third league hat-trick against Birmingham City. She celebrated with her famous back-flip. On 5 December, Kerr scored two goals in the FA Cup final against Arsenal, winning Player of the Match. This helped Chelsea win the domestic quadruple (four trophies) for the 2020–21 season, a first for an English women's club.
After returning to Chelsea in early 2022, Kerr scored 10 goals in 7 straight matches. She scored two goals in Chelsea's 9–0 win against Leicester City and again the next week against Reading. On 24 April, she scored in her 6th straight WSL match, breaking her own record. In April 2022, Kerr won the FWA Women's Footballer of the Year award. She ended the season with 32 goals and 9 assists across all competitions. She helped Chelsea win the Women's Super League for the third time in a row and the FA Women's Cup for the second time. She was voted Chelsea Women's Player of the Year and Women's Super League Player of the Season. She also won the PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year award and the Golden Boot for the second year in a row. She scored her first UEFA Champions League hat-trick against Paris FC on 23 November 2023.
On 7 January 2024, Chelsea announced that Kerr had a serious knee injury (ACL injury) and would miss the rest of the season. On 13 June 2024, Kerr signed another two-year contract, keeping her at Chelsea until 2026. On 6 December 2024, her manager, Sonia Bompastor, said Kerr would not return until 2025. On 13 March 2025, Kerr was included in Chelsea’s Champions League squad for the first time since her injury, but she did not play. Bompastor hoped Kerr would return before the end of the 2024-25 season.
International Career
In February 2009, at age 15, Kerr played her first international game for Australia's senior national team. She scored her first international goal at 16 during the 2010 AFC Women's Asian Cup final against North Korea. This helped Australia draw 1–1 and win their first international trophy.
2010 AFC Women's Asian Cup
In May 2010, Kerr was part of the Matildas squad for the 2010 AFC Women's Asian Cup. She scored in the group stage and the opening goal of the final against North Korea. Australia won the title after a penalty shoot-out.
2011 FIFA Women's World Cup
In 2011, at 17, Kerr was named to Australia's 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup squad. She made her World Cup debut as a substitute against Brazil. She started in other group matches, helping Australia win and move to the knockout stage.
2015 FIFA Women's World Cup
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After a knee injury in December 2014, Kerr worked hard to recover for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada. She played as a starting striker. Australia reached the quarter-finals for the first time but lost to Japan.
2016–2018 International Games
In July 2017, Kerr was the top goalscorer at the first 2017 Tournament of Nations in the United States. She scored a hat-trick against Japan and a goal against Brazil, helping Australia win the tournament. Before this, she had scored eight goals in 49 national team games. Her hat-trick against Japan started a streak of 11 goals in six games. Kerr was named 2017 AFC Women's Footballer of the Year.
2019 FIFA Women's World Cup
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In February 2019, Kerr became captain of the Matildas. She was nominated for the BBC Women's Footballer of the Year award. During the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France, she scored her first World Cup goal against Italy. She scored four goals in Australia's 4–1 win against Jamaica, becoming the first Australian player to score a hat-trick at a World Cup. Australia reached the knockout stage but lost to Norway in a penalty shoot-out. Kerr's five goals in the tournament were among the highest.
2020 Olympic Games, Tokyo
At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021), Kerr scored in Australia's opening game against New Zealand. She scored two goals against Sweden but missed a penalty. In the quarter-finals against Great Britain, Kerr scored a late goal to force extra time and then another to help Australia win 4–3. Australia reached the semi-finals, their best-ever result at a major tournament. In the bronze medal match, she scored a goal against the United States, becoming the all-time top scorer for the Matildas with 48 goals.
Post-Olympics and 2022 Asian Cup
On 21 September 2021, Kerr earned her 100th cap for Australia, becoming the 10th Matilda to do so. In October, she scored her 49th international goal in a friendly against Brazil.
At the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup, Kerr scored 5 goals in Australia's first match against Indonesia. In doing so, she equaled and then passed Tim Cahill's record of 50 international goals for Australia, becoming the all-time leading Australian international scorer (male or female). She achieved this in fewer games than Cahill. Despite Australia being knocked out in the quarter-finals, Kerr won the Golden Boot for the tournament, scoring 7 goals in just 4 matches.
2023 FIFA Women's World Cup
On 3 July 2023, Kerr was announced as captain for the Matildas' 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup squad, her fourth World Cup. She missed the first two group matches due to a calf injury and ultimately all three group games.
Kerr made her first appearance in the 2023 World Cup in the 80th minute of Australia's win against Denmark in the round of 16. She was a substitute again in Australia's historic quarter-final victory over France, scoring in the penalty shootout. The team reached the World Cup semi-finals for the first time, playing against England. Kerr scored her first goal of the tournament to tie the game, but England scored two more goals, and Australia lost 3–1. Kerr's goal was praised as one of the best of the tournament and was nominated for the FIFA Puskás Award for 2023. Due to her ACL injury in January 2024, she could not play in the 2024 Olympic qualifying tournament. She was still recovering when the Olympic squad for the Paris games was named in June 2024.
In Popular Media
In 2013, Kerr was featured in an ESPN episode called The Matildas, which showed four Australian national team players. She was included in the EA Sports' FIFA video game series starting with FIFA 16, which was the first time women players were in the game.
Kerr has been on the cover of Australian FourFourTwo magazine and Vogue Australia. In 2018, she was on the cover of the Australian version of the FIFA 19 video game. In September 2020, she was the second-highest rated female player in FIFA 21.
Kerr has endorsement deals with Nike and Powerade. In 2019, she starred in a Nike commercial called Dream Further. Her famous backflip was also featured in another Nike ad, Dream Crazier. In 2021, she published her first children's book, (The Flip Out), which is part of her "Kicking Goals" series.
In July 2022, it was announced that Kerr would be on the cover of the Ultimate edition of FIFA 23 alongside Kylian Mbappé. This was the first time a female player appeared on the global cover of the game. She was also rated as the world's best women's footballer in the 2023 Women's World Cup update for FIFA 23. In July 2023, she appeared in a commercial for Degree deodorant.
Personal Life
Kerr is in a relationship with American soccer player Kristie Mewis. In November 2023, Mewis confirmed they were engaged. The couple welcomed a son in May 2025.
In the Australian Football League (AFL), Kerr supports the West Coast Eagles. Her brother, Daniel Kerr, is a former player for the West Coast Eagles.
Kerr was the Australian flag-bearer at the coronation of Charles III and Camilla. On 27 October 2023, the new West Australian State Football Centre was named the Sam Kerr Football Centre in her honor.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Perth Glory | 2008–09 | W-League | 7 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 1 | ||||
| 2009–10 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 1 | ||||||
| 2010–11 | 10 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 10 | 3 | ||||||
| Total | 22 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 22 | 5 | ||||||
| Sydney FC | 2012–13 | W-League | 12 | 9 | — | — | — | — | 12 | 9 | ||||
| 2013–14 | 12 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 12 | 4 | ||||||
| Total | 24 | 13 | — | — | — | — | 24 | 13 | ||||||
| Western New York Flash | 2013 | NWSL | 21 | 6 | — | — | — | — | 21 | 6 | ||||
| 2014 | 20 | 9 | — | — | — | — | 20 | 9 | ||||||
| Total | 41 | 15 | — | — | — | — | 41 | 15 | ||||||
| Perth Glory | 2014 | W-League | 10 | 11 | — | — | — | — | 10 | 11 | ||||
| 2015–16 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | ||||||
| 2016–17 | 13 | 10 | — | — | — | — | 13 | 10 | ||||||
| 2017–18 | 9 | 13 | — | — | — | — | 9 | 13 | ||||||
| 2018–19 | 13 | 18 | — | — | — | — | 13 | 18 | ||||||
| Total | 49 | 53 | — | — | — | — | 49 | 53 | ||||||
| Sky Blue FC | 2015 | NWSL | 9 | 6 | — | — | — | — | 9 | 6 | ||||
| 2016 | 9 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 9 | 5 | ||||||
| 2017 | 22 | 17 | — | — | — | — | 22 | 17 | ||||||
| Total | 40 | 28 | — | — | — | — | 40 | 28 | ||||||
| Chicago Red Stars | 2018 | NWSL | 20 | 16 | — | — | — | — | 20 | 16 | ||||
| 2019 | 23 | 19 | — | — | — | — | 23 | 19 | ||||||
| Total | 43 | 35 | — | — | — | — | 43 | 35 | ||||||
| Chelsea | 2019–20 | FA WSL | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 1 | ||
| 2020–21 | 22 | 21 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 31 | ||
| 2021–22 | 20 | 20 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 4 | — | 31 | 29 | |||
| 2022–23 | 21 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 5 | — | 38 | 29 | |||
| 2023–24 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | — | 12 | 9 | |||
| Total | 75 | 58 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 28 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 128 | 99 | ||
| Career total | 294 | 207 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 28 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 347 | 248 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 2009 | 1 | 0 |
| 2010 | 9 | 3 | |
| 2011 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2015 | 8 | 2 | |
| 2016 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 11 | 11 | |
| 2018 | 15 | 8 | |
| 2019 | 11 | 11 | |
| 2020 | 5 | 4 | |
| 2021 | 16 | 7 | |
| 2022 | 12 | 12 | |
| 2023 | 12 | 8 | |
| Total | 128 | 69 | |
Honours and Awards
Sam Kerr has won many awards and trophies throughout her career:
Team Honours
- Sydney FC
- W-League Championship: 2012–13
- Western New York Flash
- NWSL Shield: 2013
- Perth Glory
- W-League Premiership: 2014
- Chelsea
- FA Women's Super League: 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24
- Women's FA Cup: 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23
- FA Women's League Cup: 2019–20, 2020–21
- FA Women's Community Shield: 2020
- Australia
- AFF U-16 Women's Championship: 2009
- AFC Women's Asian Cup: 2010
Individual Awards
- W-League Player's Player of the Year: 2009, 2014
- W-League Goal of the Year: 2009, 2016–17
- FFA Female U20 Footballer of the Year: 2010, 2014
- PFA Australian Women's Footballer of the Year: 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022
- Julie Dolan Medal: 2016–17, 2017–18
- W-League Golden Boot: 2017–18, 2018–19
- NWSL Golden Boot: 2017, 2018, 2019
- NWSL Most Valuable Player Award: 2017, 2019
- Asian Women's Footballer of the Year: 2017, 2022
- Young Australian of the Year: 2018
- ESPY Awards Best International Women's Soccer Player: 2018, 2019, 2022
- FA Women's Super League Golden Boot: 2020–21, 2021–22
- Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM): 2022
- AFC Women's Asian Cup Golden Boot: 2022
- Football Writer's Association Women's Footballer of the Year: 2021–22, 2022–23
- Women's Super League Player of the Season: 2021–22
- PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2022
- Chelsea Women's Player of the Year: 2021–22, 2022–23
- FIFA FIFPRO Women's World 11: 2022, 2023
- Australian flag-bearer for the coronation of Charles III and Camilla: 2023
- Ballon d'Or Féminin 3rd place: 2021, 2022; runner-up: 2023
Records
- All-time leading Australian international female scorer: 63 goals
- All-time leading Australian international scorer (male and female): 63 goals
- First Australian player to score a hat-trick at a World Cup: 2019
- Only football player to win the Golden Boot in 3 different leagues/continents: W-League (Australia), NWSL (North America), FA WSL (Europe)
- First female footballer to be on the global cover of a FIFA video game: FIFA 23
Interesting Facts About Sam Kerr
- As a kid, Kerr played Australian rules football before she switched to soccer at age 12.
- Both her father and older brother, Daniel Kerr, were professional Australian rules footballers.
- Kerr was the Australian flag-bearer at the coronation of Charles III. This means she carried the flag for Australia during the King's coronation ceremony.
- She supports the West Coast Eagles, an Australian rules football team.
- Kerr has a pet dog named Billie.
Sam Kerr's Inspiring Quotes
- "It’s only a crazy dream until you do it."
- "I'm a risk-taker, my life is lived on the edge - I either go big or go home."
- "If I’m known for anything at the end of my career, I’d rather be known as a better person than a better footballer."
- "If you just focus on yourself and always believe in yourself you can go as far as you want."
- "My advice to others is to start the day knowing what you want to achieve, get moving and get it done."
See also
In Spanish: Sam Kerr para niños
- List of A-League Women records and statistics
- List of NWSL records and statistics
- List of Women's Super League records and statistics
- List of FIFA Women's World Cup hat-tricks
- List of women's footballers with 100 or more international caps
- List of top international women's football goalscorers by country
