Matildas superstar Sam Kerr and her girlfriend Kristie Mewis have confirmed they are engaged, but eagle-eyed fans have known for a while.
Although an official announcement wasn’t made until Friday, there had long been signs that the couple had made plans to get married.
The loved-up couple celebrated Kerr’s 30th birthday in September after returning from a glittering Women’s World Cup in Australia, where Kerr led the Matildas to the semi-finals.
The American star posted a photo from Kerr’s birthday dinner, with the Australian putting her arm around her friend’s waist.
“Happy birthday my love,” she captioned the post.
Matildas superstar Sam Kerr and her long-term girlfriend Kristie Mewis have confirmed they are engaged
The couple posted many photos like the one above with Mewis’ left hand before Kerr’s recent birthday
Intriguingly, Mewis’ left ring finger was hidden by a napkin in the photo.
Mewis returned to the United States to join her club side, Gotham FC, while Kerr went to London to begin pre-season training with Chelsea.
However, it appears Kerr was in New York in late September after sharing a photo of a rainy skyline on Monday, before Gotham FC inadvertently opened a can of worms among fans on social media.
Mewis was featured in a promotional clip for the new EA FC 24 video game, wearing a shiny piece of jewelry on her ring finger that caught the attention of fans.
The ring sent fans into a frenzy over the couple’s relationship status.
“Not the ROCK,” one fan posted online.
Another said: ‘Omg is Kristie wearing an engagement ring?’
‘WHAT IS THAT ON YOUR HAND KRISTIE??’ said a third.
A ring was seen on Mewis’ finger during a club promo video
The American star’s left hand has been invisible in photos since Kerr was 30
Mewis posted a photo to her Instagram Story, showing what appears to be her hand holding Kerr’s – again parts of her hand were invisible
Mewis posted two photos of herself on Instagram around the same time — and in both photos, her left hand was in her pocket.
The American star followed up with a post to her Instagram Story on Thursday, showing what appears to be her hand holding Kerr’s.
Once again, most of the fingers of Mewis’ left hand were visible in the photo, leading some to believe she might be hiding a ring.
The couple met while both playing for rival clubs in the American League in 2019.
They spoke online for almost four months during the 2020 Covid lockdown before spending two weeks in quarantine together, where they quickly fell in love.
The pair continued their romance ahead of the 2021 Olympics, where – following the US’s semi-final defeat by Australia – they were photographed together.
Their on-field embrace made headlines as Kerr’s split with her former long-time partner – another American club player Nikki Stanton – had not yet become public.
Their international romance has since been extensively documented on social media, with both women amassing hundreds of thousands of followers.
‘We are not private people. I enjoy sharing my story. I like to share who I am outside of football. Football is five percent of my life,” Kerr told British publication Gaffer earlier this year.
The couple traveled to Sydney while Kerr played with the Matildas in the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
In a twist, Kerr took on Kristie’s ex-girlfriend Rachel Daly, who played for England in the semi-final.
On Friday, Mewis, 30, shared the happy news with People magazine and thanked Kerr for being by her side.
“(She’s) my biggest supporter, she always listens to all my crazy antics,” she said.