Smith, Sophia (2000-…), is a professional United States soccer player. She led the Portland Thorns to win the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) championship in 2022. At only 22 years old, Smith became the youngest player in NWSL history to be named league Most Valuable Player (MVP). She is known for her versatility (ability to do many things well) on the field and skilled dribbling. 
Sophia Olivia Smith was born on Aug. 10, 2000, in Windsor, Colorado. Smith attended Fossil Ridge High School in Fort Collins. She was named First-Team All-Conference during her freshman year. Smith began playing for the Under 17 USA team in 2016. In 2018, while playing for the USA Under 20 team at the Women’s World Cup in France, Smith scored three goals. Smith enrolled at Stanford University to play soccer in 2018. She helped Stanford win the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Women’s Soccer Championship in 2019.
In 2020, after her sophomore season at Stanford, Smith was named the number-one recruit for the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Smith left college to pursue soccer full-time in the league. She was drafted by the Portland Thorns. The 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Smith debuted for the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) in November 2020. In a game against Uzbekistan on Apr. 9, 2022, Smith scored three goals—a feat known as a hat trick—becoming the youngest USWNT player to score a hat trick since 2000 and the fifth youngest in league history. In July 2022, Smith scored twice for the United States team to defeat Jamaica 5-0 at the 2022 CONCACAF Women’s Championship, qualifying the United States team for the 2023 FIFA World Cup and the 2024 Summer Olympics. CONCACAF stands for Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football. FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association (International Federation of Association Football). Soccer is called football in much of the world. Smith helped the USWNT win a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France.
In 2022, Smith set a Portland Thorns record by scoring 14 goals in a regular season. On Oct. 29, 2022, Smith scored a goal when the Portland Thorns won the NWSL Championship against the Kansas City Current 2-0.
