Mary Fowler

Mary Boio Fowler is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a forward or midfielder for English Women's Super League club Manchester City and the Australia national team. Born on 14 February 2003 in Cairns, Queensland, she is the third of five children born to Kevin, from Dublin, Ireland, and Nido, from Kira Kira, Papua New Guinea. Growing up without a television set, Fowler spent her early childhood engaging in creative activities such as drawing and acting, as well as playing football at Trinity Beach and attending Holy Cross Primary School.

Fowler began playing football at seven years old, joining local Cairns boys' teams for Saints FC and Leichhardt FC. At age ten, she represented the Queensland state under-12 team before moving with her family to the Netherlands for three years, where she played for BVV Barendrecht and became fluent in Dutch. Returning to Australia at age 14, she attended Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts and played for Bankstown City in the NSW Women's National Premier League. In 2019, aged 16, Fowler signed her first professional contract with Adelaide United, debuting in the W-League alongside her sister Ciara.

In February 2020, Fowler signed a three-year contract with French Ligue 1 club Montpellier HSC. While with Montpellier, she made her debut against Olympique Lyonnais and was named to ESPN's 21 under 21 list in May 2021. However, she faced mental health struggles and challenges at the club, which she later detailed in her writing. In June 2022, Fowler transferred to Manchester City on a four-year contract. After initially spending time on the substitute bench, she increased her playing time in her second year and earned nominations for The Best FIFA Women's Player and The European Golden Girl Award.

Fowler's tenure at Manchester City featured key performances, including scoring twice in a victory over Bristol City in April 2024. Despite suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury during an FA Cup semi-final match in April 2025, she signed a contract extension through mid-2027 later that year and returned to competition in February 2026. Her achievements with Manchester City include winning the Women's Super League and the Women's FA Cup in the 2025–26 season, alongside selection to the PFA WSL Team of the Year for 2024–25.

On the international stage, Fowler represented the Australia under-20 team at the 2018 AFF Women's Championship, earning the Golden Boot with ten goals as the team finished runners-up. She made her senior national team debut for the Matildas at age 15 in 2018 against Brazil. She was included in Australia's squad for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup and later competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics, scoring in the quarter-finals against Great Britain. At the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, Fowler scored her first World Cup goal against Canada and provided an assist in the Round of 16 against Denmark. She was also selected for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Off the field, Fowler was named the PFA Australian Young Women's Footballer of the Year in 2022 and 2024. She has secured commercial endorsements with brands including Adidas, Rebel Sport, and Rise & Shine, and Mattel created a Barbie doll in her likeness in May 2024. Since August 2023, she has been in a relationship with Australian rugby league player Nathan Cleary. In November 2025, Fowler published her memoir, titled Bloom, reflecting on her life and football journey.