Mia Justus Bio
Mia Taylin Justus (born September 3, 2002) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for the Utah Royals of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Standing 5 feet 9 inches tall, she wears jersey number 23 for the Utah-based club. Justus came into the professional ranks after a decorated college career split between the Florida State Seminoles and the Texas Longhorns, and she has represented the United States at several youth national team levels, including at a FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
Born and raised in Ohio, Justus developed her goalkeeping craft at one of the country’s top soccer academies before committing to a top college program. She has earned conference recognition and tournament MVP honors at multiple stops, and she signed her first professional contract with the Utah Royals in late 2024.
Early Life and Background
Justus was born and raised in Lakewood, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb, and is one of six children born to Lauren and Leon Justus. She grew up in a large, athletic household in northeastern Ohio, and her extended family includes a connection to American soccer royalty, as she is a cousin of longtime United States men’s national team goalkeeper Tim Howard.
To advance her development, Justus attended IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, one of the most prominent soccer training environments in the United States. During her recruitment, she first committed to Rutgers before ultimately switching her pledge to Florida State, a program known for producing elite goalkeepers and competing for national championships.
Path to Soccer
Justus began training with the United States youth national team setup at the under-14 level in 2015, signaling her early identification as a top goalkeeping prospect. She progressed steadily through the U.S. age-group system, traveling internationally with the under-16 team in 2017 and 2018, the under-17 team in 2018, the under-18 team in 2019 and 2020, and the under-19 team in 2018 and 2020.
At IMG Academy, Justus sharpened the technical and tactical tools that would later define her college career, including her shot-stopping, distribution, and command of the penalty area. Her combination of size, athleticism, and pedigree made her a priority recruit, and her eventual commitment to Florida State set the stage for her introduction to high-level collegiate competition.
Mia Justus Career
Early Career (2021–2022)
Justus spent her first two college seasons as the understudy to veteran goalkeeper Cristina Roque with the Florida State Seminoles. As a freshman in 2021, she kept five clean sheets in eight starts and was named to the Atlantic Coast Conference All-Freshman Team. She was an unused substitute during Florida State’s run to the ACC championship and the NCAA national title that year.
In her sophomore season of 2022, Justus recorded four shutouts in six starts while helping Florida State claim the ACC regular-season title. With Roque still leading the way, the Seminoles also won another ACC tournament crown and reached the NCAA semifinals. Following that season, Justus transferred to the Texas Longhorns in search of a starting role.
Texas Longhorns Breakthrough (2023–2024)
Justus immediately became the full-time starter at Texas, starting every game during her 2023 junior season. She registered nine shutouts across 26 appearances, earned second-team All-Big 12 honors, and led the Longhorns to the Big 12 tournament title, where she was named the tournament’s most valuable player. Texas advanced to the third round of the NCAA tournament that year, where their run ended at the hands of her former Florida State program.
When Texas moved into the Southeastern Conference in 2024, Justus set a program record with 12 clean sheets in a single season and was named to the All-SEC third team. She again led the Longhorns to a conference tournament championship and a second straight tournament MVP award, posting a career-high 14 saves in a 2–1 semifinal win against Arkansas. Across her two Texas seasons, she was widely regarded as one of the top goalkeepers in the Big 12 and SEC.
Utah Royals Era (2025–Present)
The Utah Royals announced on December 30, 2024, that they had signed Justus to her first professional contract, a three-year deal that keeps her with the club through 2028. The move reunited her with former Florida State teammate Cristina Roque in the goalkeeper room, where she initially served as the backup to veteran starter Mandy McGlynn.
On August 3, 2025, Justus made her professional debut for the Royals, stepping in for an injured McGlynn during a 1–1 draw against the Orlando Pride. The appearance marked the beginning of her NWSL career and signaled her growing role within the Utah goalkeeping group.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among the defining moments of Justus’s young career are her 2021 national championship experience at Florida State, her Big 12 and SEC tournament MVP awards at Texas, and her record-setting 12 clean sheets in 2024. She also represented the United States at the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, starting two matches in the tournament.
Mia Justus Career Wins
Justus’s trophy case is anchored by team championships earned across the college and youth international levels. At Florida State, she was part of the 2021 NCAA national championship squad, contributing as a freshman during the Seminoles’ title run. With Texas, she captained the Longhorns to consecutive conference tournament titles in 2023 and 2024, winning Big 12 and SEC tournament MVP honors in the process. Internationally, she started for the U.S. team that won the 2022 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship.
College Highlights
Justus appeared in two NCAA tournaments with Florida State and two with Texas, reaching the NCAA semifinals in 2022 and the third round in 2023. She set a Texas program record with 12 clean sheets in 2024 and posted a career-high 14 saves against Arkansas in the SEC tournament that same year.
International Highlights
Justus represented the United States at five different youth age levels, from the U-14s through the U-20s. She started through the quarterfinals of the 2022 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship, a tournament the U.S. won, and went on to start two matches at the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. In January 2025, she was called into a U.S. Soccer Futures Camp, training alongside members of the senior national team.
Mia Justus Family
Family Background and Soccer Lineage
Justus is one of six children raised by Lauren and Leon Justus in Lakewood, Ohio. She shares a family connection with Tim Howard, the longtime United States men’s national team goalkeeper, who is her cousin. Her family’s deep ties to soccer have shaped her path through the sport.
Personal Life
Justus grew up in a large family in suburban Cleveland before moving to Florida to attend IMG Academy. She maintains an active presence on social media, where she shares updates from her professional career with the Utah Royals.
2025 Season Performance
Justus entered the 2025 NWSL season as the backup goalkeeper behind Mandy McGlynn on the Utah Royals roster. Her season shifted on August 3, 2025, when she was called upon to make her professional debut in a 1–1 draw against the Orlando Pride, with McGlynn sidelined by injury. The performance offered an early glimpse of her readiness to contribute at the top flight of American women’s soccer.
Heading into the latter portion of 2025, Justus’s role in Salt Lake City is expected to grow as she gains experience in NWSL competition. Reunited with former Florida State teammate Cristina Roque, she is part of a young goalkeeping duo under contract with the Royals through 2028. With a conference tournament MVP pedigree and a program record for clean sheets already on her résumé, Justus is positioned to push for a larger share of minutes as the season progresses.