--- description: Find out how Sophia Smith is shaping the future and defining the next generation of leadership. title: 2023 TIME100 Next: Sophia Smith image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb1e0b6da8fca36a4/698a40054ee2622d1b31bb37/time100-next-sophia-smith-2023.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- Sep 13, 2023 # Sophia Smith by [Sean Gregory](/author/sean-gregory/) ## Sean Gregory Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Senior Correspondent  Sophia Smith Sophia SmithCarmen Mandato—Getty Images for USSF Even since [American soccer star](https://time.com/6296820/sophia-smith-debut-world-cup-usa-vietnam/ "undefined") Sophia Smith was a young player growing up in Colorado, she had a nose for the back of the net. “I just have that constant hunger to score,” says Smith. “It’s not even something I’m consciously thinking about. It just clicks in my body.” Smith, the Portland Thorns FC forward, led the National Women’s Soccer League in goals entering September, with 11\. At the World Cup this summer, she scored two goals and assisted on the other in the U.S. team’s 3-0 opening-game win over Vietnam. --- ### More from TIME --- Smith’s World Cup did end on a down note: she missed a penalty shoot-out kick against Sweden that could have pushed the Americans through to the quarterfinals (Sweden eventually prevailed). This setback, however, allows her to inspire fans in a different way. “You don’t let those moments completely define who you are,” says Smith. “When something doesn’t go your way, you can let it take you down, or you learn and grow from that moment and be better from it. I’m choosing that route.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","@id":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2023/6308476/sophia-smith/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2023/6308476/sophia-smith/"},"headline":"Sophia Smith","datePublished":"2023-09-13T11:00:23.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-03T00:18:59.953Z","description":"","url":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2023/6308476/sophia-smith/","keywords":["TIME 100 Next","sponsorshipblock","time100nextartists23"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb1e0b6da8fca36a4/698a40054ee2622d1b31bb37/time100-next-sophia-smith-2023.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Sean Gregory","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/sean-gregory/"}],"creator":"Sean Gregory","articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb1e0b6da8fca36a4/698a40054ee2622d1b31bb37/time100-next-sophia-smith-2023.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2023/6308476/sophia-smith/","name":"Sophia Smith"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"See Everyone on the TIME100 Next List","description":"TIME100 Next, our annual franchise recognizing the rising leaders in health, climate, business, sports, the arts and more.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/QxIk3IJu/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2023-09-13T11:00:00.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/QxIk3IJu.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2023/6308476/sophia-smith/","duration":"PT1M58S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2023/6308476/sophia-smith/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```