Throughout her career, which included winning two Women’s World Cup titles and an Olympic gold medal, Alex Morgan has made significant contributions to women’s soccer both through her athletic performance on the pitch and her activism off it.
The 35-year-old Morgan recently announced her retirement from soccer, sharing the news on Thursday while in tears in a video posted on social media. She also revealed that she is expecting her second child.
“This decision was not made lightly. At the start of 2024, I realized deep down that this would be my final season playing soccer,” she expressed. “Soccer has been a significant part of my life for 30 years; it was one of my first passions. I dedicated everything to this sport, and the rewards I received exceeded my wildest dreams.”
Morgan’s last match will be with her club, the San Diego Wave of the National Women’s Soccer League, on Sunday at Snapdragon Stadium.
In addition to her World Cup victories in 2015 and 2019, Morgan was part of the U.S. team that secured gold at the 2012 London Olympics and brought home a bronze medal from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Early in her career, she was affectionately nicknamed “Baby Horse” by her teammates due to her impressive strides. One of her most unforgettable moments occurred in London when she scored the winning goal in the dying moments of extra time against Canada, sending the United States into the Olympic final. The previous year, she also scored in the World Cup final against Japan.
At the 2019 World Cup, Morgan scored the crucial goal in a 2-1 semifinal win over England, famously celebrating by pretending to sip tea.
Over her career, Morgan played in 224 matches for the national team, ranking ninth all-time, and scored 123 goals, placing her fifth on the all-time list. She also provided 53 assists, which is ninth in history. In recognition of her contributions, she was named U.S. Soccer Player of the Year in both 2012 and 2018.
Morgan has become one of the most recognizable athletes in the U.S., partnering with major companies such as Coca-Cola, Chipotle, Google, and Nike. In 2022, she was recognized as the most-endorsed female athlete by SponsorsUnited, a firm that monitors sponsorship deals globally.
Her final game with the U.S. national team took place on June 4, 2024, against South Korea. She was not included in the roster for this year’s Paris Olympics, chosen by new coach Emma Hayes.
In addition to her remarkable sports career, Morgan is an outspoken advocate for gender equality in sports. In 2016, she was one of five players who filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for wage discrimination. This led to the U.S. Women’s National Team suing U.S. Soccer in 2019 for unequal pay and treatment compared to the men’s team. The lawsuit was resolved, resulting in collective bargaining agreements in 2022 that provided equal pay and benefits for both teams.
“For me, success means never giving up and giving everything you have, and I did just that,” Morgan stated. “I have poured my heart and soul into this sport every single day, and I pushed relentlessly for more investment in women’s sports because we deserve it.”
Since 2022, Morgan has played for the Wave. She was one of the original players in NWSL, also playing for Portland Thorns and Orlando Pride earlier in her career. In 2022, she earned the league’s Golden Boot for scoring the most goals. Additionally, she played internationally for clubs like Lyon and Tottenham.
In 2021, she was instrumental in shedding light on the NWSL abuse scandal, which led to the dismissal or resignation of five league coaches and prompted an investigation that uncovered systemic abuse and misconduct. Morgan rallied fellow players to demand the implementation of an anti-harassment policy in the league.
Morgan and her husband, Servando Carrasco, have a daughter named Charlie, born in 2020.
“Just the other day, Charlie came to me and said she wants to be a soccer player when she grows up,” Morgan shared. “That made me incredibly proud, not because I want her to be a player, but because she sees a future for herself in this sport. We are changing lives, and the impact we have on the next generation will be lasting. I take pride in my role in moving the game forward and leaving it in a wonderful place.”
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