One of the greatest United States women’s national team players of all time is calling it a career. Alex Morgan will play her final game on Sunday as the star striker announced in a four-minute video on social media Thursday.
Morgan had two big announcements in her retirement video as she revealed she’s pregnant with a second a child.
“This is also not the retirement video I expected when I initially thought I was going to do this. Because Charlie’s going to be a big sister. I’m pregnant,” Morgan revealed.
Morgan’s daughter Charlie turned four this year. Now the soccer icon will be a mother of two.
The 35-year-old forward’s last game will be with the San Diego Wave as they host the North Carolina Courage on Sunday.
“It has been a long time coming and this decision wasn’t easy,” Morgan said. “At the beginning of 2024 I felt in my heart and soul that this was the last season that I would play soccer.”
Alex Morgan retires
Thank you pic.twitter.com/8BkofVOh3s
— Alex Morgan (@alexmorgan13) September 5, 2024
Baby Horse.
AM13.
Alex Morgan.#ThankYouAlex pic.twitter.com/d4o95QfsTe— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) September 5, 2024
Morgan will undeniably go down as one of the most influential soccer players in the world. What she’s done for women’s sports on and off the field is truly incredible.
When she made her debut for the USWNT on that snowy 2010 night in Utah, the landscape and pathway to professional women’s soccer was entirely different.
Fast forward to 2024 and women’s soccer in this country has never been bigger, more equal for women’s players and more attainable as a career.
"We're changing lives and the impact we have on the next generation is irreversible and I'm proud in the hand I had in making that happen and pushing the game forward and leaving it in a place that I'm so happy and proud of,” Morgan said.
Her accomplishments on the field are matched by few. She finishes as the fifth highest goal scorer in USWNT history with 123 goals in 224 international appearances.
Morgan played major roles in the USWNT’s 2012 Olympic triumph and the back-to-back World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019.
The one thing about Morgan is that she always seemed ready for the big occasion. Whether it was a 123rd minute winner against Canada in the 2012 Olympics or the iconic header and tea sip celebration vs. England in the 2019 World Cup semifinal, you could always count on Morgan.
Can we all just take a second to appreciate @alexmorgan13's EPIC game-winning goal from the 2012 London Olympics @USWNT #OlympicsWeekNBCSN pic.twitter.com/WHzb8DvGbP
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) April 18, 2020
Alex Morgan scores her first goal since the opening game and retakes the lead in the Golden Boot race (6 goals, 3 assists)
She's the first player in #FIFAWWC history to score on her birthday pic.twitter.com/EGWBNIyaxI— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 2, 2019
What a player. What a career.