Shortly after graduating early from the University of California, Berkeley, where she played for the California Golden Bears, Morgan was drafted number one overall in the 2011 WPS Draft by the Western New York Flash. There, she made her professional debut and helped the team win the league championship. Morgan, who was 22 at the time, was the youngest player on the national team at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, where the team was runner-up. At the 2012 London Olympics, she scored the match-winning goal in the 123rd minute of the semi-final match against Canada. She finished 2012 with 28 goals and 21 assists, joining Mia Hamm as the only American woman to score 20 goals and provide 20 assists in the same calendar year and making her the sixth and youngest U.S. player to score 20 goals in a single season. She was subsequently named U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year and was a FIFA World Player of the Year finalist. Morgan also helped the United States win their titles at the 2015 and 2019 FIFA Women's World Cups, where she was named to the Dream Team for both tournaments, while she won the Silver Boot in 2019.
Morgan joined Portland Thorns FC in the NWSL's inaugural season in 2013 and helped the team win the league championship that year. Morgan played for the Thorns through the 2015 season, after which she was traded to the expansion team Orlando Pride. In 2017, Morgan signed with French team Lyon, where she won the continental European treble, which included the UEFA Women's Champions League. Morgan joined the expansion team San Diego Wave FC in 2022; she received the NWSL Golden Boot as the league's top scorer that year and helped win the NWSL Shield the following season.
Off the field, Morgan teamed with Simon & Schuster to write a middle-grade book series about four soccer players: The Kicks. The first book in the series, Saving the Team, debuted at number seven on The New York Times Best Seller list in May 2013. Additionally, a film starring Morgan in her acting debut, Alex & Me, was released in June 2018 where she plays a fictionalized version of herself.
In 2015, Morgan was ranked by Time as the top-paid American women's soccer player, largely due to her numerous endorsement deals. Morgan, along with Canada's Christine Sinclair and Australia's Steph Catley, became the first women's soccer players to appear on the cover of FIFA video games in 2015 – Morgan appeared alongside Lionel Messi on covers of FIFA 16 and also was featured in the Journey on FIFA 19 sold in the United States. She was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2019 and 2022.[9]
On September 5, 2024, Morgan announced via social media that she would be retiring and her last match would be September 8, 2024.[10]
Early life
Born to Pamela and Michael Morgan in the Los Angeles County suburb of San Dimas, California,[4][2][11][12] Morgan was raised with her two older sisters, Jeni and Jeri, in the nearby suburb of Diamond Bar.[13][14] She was a multi-sport athlete growing up and began playing soccer at an early age with the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO),[15] and her father was among her first coaches.[16] However, she did not begin playing club soccer until age 14 when she joined Cypress Elite.[17][18] With the club team, she won the Coast Soccer League (CSL) under-16 championship and placed third at the under-19 level.[19]
Morgan attended Diamond Bar High School, where she was a three-time all-league pick and was named All-American by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).[12] At the school, she was known for her speed and sprinting ability.[20] Morgan played for Olympic Development Program (ODP) regional and state teams as well.[19] She later credited the program as an integral part of her development as a soccer player: "... programs like ODP helped me especially because I did come into the club scene late and it was important for me to play as much as possible, play with the best players and learn from the best coaches. That, for me, was crucial to my development."[21]
Morgan attended University of California, Berkeley, where she played for the California Golden Bears from 2007 to 2010.[23] She led the Cal Bears in scoring during her first season with the team.[19] During a match against Stanford in the second round of the 2007 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship, Morgan scored an equalizer with less than two minutes left in regulation time, resulting in a 1–1 draw. The team was ultimately defeated during penalty kicks.[24] Despite continued absences due to U.S. national team commitments throughout her collegiate career, Morgan led Cal in scoring and helped the team reach the NCAA Tournament four years in a row, advancing to the second round twice.[19]
After being named a candidate for the Hermann Trophy during her junior year, Morgan became the first Golden Bear to be one of the top three finalists for the award. She was one of four finalists for the Honda Sports Award, given to the best overall candidate in each sport.[19]
Morgan finished her collegiate career ranked third all-time in goals scored (45) and points (106) for Cal.[25] She graduated from Berkeley one semester early, with a degree in Political Economy.[26]
After the WPS later suspended operations in early 2012 due to legal and financial difficulties,[32] Morgan joined her national teammates Hope Solo, Sydney Leroux, Megan Rapinoe and Stephanie Cox on the Seattle Sounders Women for the 2012 season.[33][34][35] Of her signing, Morgan said, "I am excited to play in a city that is so passionate about soccer. The Sounders have been one of, if not the best fan support in MLS. I can only imagine how Seattle fans would respond to having a full professional women's team in the future."[36]
Due to her national team commitments and preparation for the 2012 Summer Olympics,[37] Morgan made three regular season appearances for the club. She scored two goals and served two assist in her 253 minutes on the pitch.[38] With the national teammates' presence on the team,[39][40] the Sounders sold out nine of their ten home matches at the 4,500 capacity Starfire Stadium.[41] Average attendance during the 2012 season for the Sounders Women was four times higher than the next closest team.[41]
Morgan returned to the Thorns for the 2014 season led by new head coach Paul Riley.[49] She scored six goals in her 15 appearances for the club.[30] The Thorns finished third during the regular season with a 10–8–6 record and advanced to the playoffs for the second consecutive season.[30] The team was defeated by eventual champions FC Kansas City 2–0.[50]
During the 2015 season, Morgan made four appearances for the Thorns due to her national team commitments at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.[30] She scored one goal during a 3–3 draw against the Washington Spirit on August 31.[30][51] The Thorns finished in sixth place during the regular season with a 6–9–5 record.[30]
On October 26, 2015, it was announced that the Thorns had traded Morgan, along with teammate Kaylyn Kyle, to expansion team Orlando Pride in exchange for the Pride's number one picks in the 2015 NWSL Expansion Draft and 2016 NWSL College Draft as well as an international roster spot for the 2016 and 2017 seasons.[52] Morgan scored four goals in her 15 appearances for the Pride.[30] The club finished in ninth place during the regular season with a 6–13–1 record led by head coach Tom Sermanni.[30]
On January 5, 2017, Morgan signed with French champions Olympique Lyonnais (Lyon) for a reported $33,000 per month.[53][54][55] The six-month contract included a mutual option for an additional season.[56]
She made her 2016–17 Division 1 Féminine debut on January 14 during a 3–0 win against En Avant de Guingamp and recorded two assists.[57] During a match against ASPTT Albi on March 17, she scored a brace in the second half to help lift the team to a 5–0 win.[58] On May 7, she scored a brace during the team's 9–0 win over ASJ Soyaux after which the club was named league champions for the ninth consecutive season.[30][59] She scored five goals in her eight appearances during the regular season.[30]
On March 12, Morgan scored a hat-trick against Rodez to lead Lyon to a 6–0 win and advance to the semi-finals of the French Cup.[60] She scored four goals and recorded two assists during the semi-final against Hénin-Beaumont (three of the four occurred within a ten-minute span).[61] Lyon won the Cup after a penalty shootout on May 19. Morgan did not play during the French Cup final due to a lingering hamstring injury suffered during a match against Paris Saint-Germain.[62][63]
Following the Champions League Final, the Pride announced Morgan's addition to their 2017 active roster on June 21, 2017, waiving Christina Burkenroad to make room on the 20-player roster.[68] After recovering from the hamstring injury she suffered in the final, Morgan made her competitive return for Orlando on July 1 against the Chicago Red Stars.[69] Morgan scored nine goals in fourteen games for Orlando in 2017, and the team achieved an 11–6–7 record.[70][71] On October 7, Morgan played the entirety of the Pride's first ever NWSL playoff match, a 4–1 loss to the eventual champions Portland Thorns FC.[72] Following the season's end, Morgan was named to the league's 2017 Second XI.[73]
Although her contract with Lyon included an option for a return in 2018, Morgan announced in September 2017 that she would terminate the contract and instead return to Orlando for the start of the] 2018 season.[56] The team failed to match the success of its 2017 campaign, finishing seventh out of nine teams in the league with a record of 8–10–6.[74] Morgan played in nineteen games for the Pride, contributing five goals over the course of the season.[75]
Morgan spent most of the 2019 season on international duty, including the World Cup, before ending the season injured. She only featured in six games for Orlando and failed to score, the first time she ended a Pride season scoreless.[76]
In October 2019 she announced she was pregnant, eventually giving birth in May 2020. Morgan missed the early-summer 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup tournament held following the disruption of the season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.[77] She returned to training with the Pride in early September ahead of the Fall Series, the September–October slate of games scheduled for the end of the season.[78]
Tottenham Hotspur (2020)
On September 12, 2020, Morgan signed with English FA Women's Super League team Tottenham Hotspur.[79] The contract reportedly ran from September through December 2020, with an option to extend the deal through the end of the 2020–21 FA WSL season in May 2021.[80] Orlando retained Morgan's NWSL rights.[81] Still trying to regain fitness having not played since August 2019 and giving birth in May 2020,[82] Morgan eventually made her Spurs debut on November 7, 2020, appearing as a 69th-minute substitute in a 1–1 WSL draw against Reading.[83] On November 14 she made her first start for Spurs, playing 45 minutes in a 2–2 draw with Bristol City before being substituted at half-time.[84] In her third appearance Morgan played against North London rivals Arsenal in the League Cup group stage, substituting on at half-time. The match finished in a 2–2 tie and a penalty shootout with Morgan the only player to not convert, instead firing the decisive penalty over the crossbar in a 5–4 defeat.[85][86] She scored her first goal for the club on December 6, 2020, an 84th-minute penalty in a 3–1 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion, Spurs' first league win of the season.[87] The following week, Morgan scored her second penalty in as many games as Spurs beat Aston Villa 3–1.[88] On December 21, Tottenham Hotspur announced that Morgan would end her contract with the club and return to the United States.[89]
Return to Orlando (2021)
Morgan returned to Orlando Pride ahead of the 2021 season. Having missed the start of the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup while on international duty to play in friendlies against Sweden and France, Morgan made her first appearance for Orlando since August 2019 on April 21, 2021, in a 1–0 Challenge Cup win over Washington Spirit, a total of 609 days. She registered an assist on the only goal of the game, scored by Sydney Leroux.[90] Morgan scored in each of the first four games of the regular season as Orlando went unbeaten and finished May at the top of the table. It was the first time a player had scored in each of the first four games of a season in league history. She was named NWSL Player of the Month for only the second time in her career in May 2021.[91]
San Diego Wave FC (2022–2024)
Morgan with the Wave in 2023
On December 13, 2021, expansion team San Diego Wave FC announced Morgan's signing.[92] The terms of the trade were revealed three days later following the opening of the trade window with Orlando receiving a record $275,000 in allocation money and Angharad James in return.[93]
Morgan scored a career-high 15 goals (including five from penalty kicks) in 17 games for the Wave in the 2022 regular season. Her scoring tally won her the NWSL Golden Boot, one goal ahead of Sophia Smith and three ahead of Debinha.[94] She scored all four goals in a 4–0 win over Gotham FC on May 7, becoming the third NWSL player to score four goals in a game after Sam Kerr and Kristen Hamilton.[95] San Diego became the first expansion side to qualify for the playoffs, where they lost to eventual champions Portland Thorns in the semifinals.[96]
The following season, Morgan led the Wave to an 11–4–7 record and the NWSL Shield as the top team of the 2023 regular-season standings. She scored on the final matchday of the season in a 2–0 win over Racing Louisville, pushing the Wave two points ahead of the Portland Thorns.[97] The Wave lost in their first playoff game to the Seattle Reign.[98] Morgan recorded seven goals in total for the Wave, tied for 5th most in the league that season.[99]
Morgan opened her 2024 season with the winning goal in the Challenge Cup, making it 1–0 in the 88th minute, marking the first time the Wave won this cup.[100] However, she was unable to score in her first 14 regular-season games for the Wave.[101]
On September 5, Morgan announced on social media that she would be retiring following the Wave match on September 8, along with revealing her second pregnancy.[102][103] At the time she announced her retirement, her total of 60 career goals in the NWSL ranked fourth in league history.[104] Morgan's final game was against the North Carolina Courage. During the pre-match ceremony, Morgan was given a Jersey with the number 63 to commemorate her 63rd appearance for the Wave, while a video compilation of Morgan's retirement announcement and career highlights was displayed on the scoreboards. She started her last match as a captain and was substituted after 13 minutes, in honor of the number she wore throughout her career.[105][106] Addressing the crowd after the game, she said, "There have been so many incredible moments in my career but this last moment I share on the field with you I will cherish forever. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you."[107] Morgan's final match was the first women's sporting event to be shown simultaneously on multiple channels and streaming services in the United States, including CBS Sports Network, Amazon Prime Video, ESPN2, and ESPN+.[108][109]
Morgan was named to the United States U-20 women's national team that competed in the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Chile, scoring a total of four goals in the tournament against France, Argentina and North Korea. Morgan's fourth goal was a match-winner that won the U.S. the tournament, which was subsequently voted the best goal of the tournament,[112] and later FIFA's second-best goal of the year.[113] Her performance on the field earned her the Bronze Shoe as the tournament's third-highest scorer and the Silver Ball as the tournament's second-best player behind teammate Sydney Leroux.[114]
She has been capped by the senior national team, first appearing as a substitute in a match versus Mexico in March 2010,[115] and scored her first international goal after coming on as a substitute against China, which salvaged a 1–1 draw in October 2010. Her most important goal to date came a month later in a crucial road match against Italy. After entering the match in the 86th minute, she scored in the fourth minute of added time to give the United States a 1–0 victory over Italy in the first leg of a playoff to qualify for the final spot for the Women's World Cup.[116]
2011 FIFA Women's World Cup
Morgan was the youngest player on the U.S. national team that placed second in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. On July 13, 2011, she scored her first FIFA Women's World Cup goal in the 82nd minute of the semi-final matchup against France, giving the U.S. a 3–1 lead and ultimately, the victory. She scored the first goal (69') in the FIFA World Cup final against Japan after coming on as a substitute at the half, as well as assisting on the Abby Wambach header (104') for a goal in extra time. Her performance made her the first player to ever record a goal and an assist in a World Cup final.[117] Morgan finished eighth in the balloting for the 2011 FIFA World Player of the Year.[118]
2012 London Olympics
Morgan became a starter for the U.S. the fifth match of the year in January, the final of the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament.[119] She scored twice and provided two assists to Wambach that day, in a 4–0 win over the Canadian hosts and has become a regular starter ever since. Between January and late May 2012, Morgan scored 14 goals in a 12-match stretch including a sequence of three straight two-goal efforts on January 29, February 11 and 29.[m 1][m 2][m 3] She earned her first career hat-trick on March 7, 2012, during a 4–0 victory against Sweden in the third-place match of the Algarve Cup.[m 4] In June 2012, she was nominated for an ESPY Award as the Best Breakthrough Athlete.[120]
In the opening match of 2012 London Olympics group play, Morgan scored both the equalizer and the goal that sealed the win against France.[121] In the next three Olympic matches, she assisted on the match-winning goal, including two to Wambach.[122][123][124]
Morgan scored the winning goal in the Olympic semi-final match against Canada in extra time, sending the United States to the gold medal match against Japan. Her goal came in the 123rd minute, the latest goal ever scored by a member of the U.S. women's team and a FIFA record.[125] The goal continued her propensity for late heroics in the closing stages of matches. Seventeen of her 28 total goals to date have come after the 60th minute. The match-winning goal was Morgan's team-high 20th in 2012, becoming only the sixth and youngest U.S. player to do so in a single year.[126][127] In the final, a 2–1 win against Japan on August 9, Morgan assisted on a Carli Lloyd header.[128] She ended the tournament with three goals, and a team-high four assists (tied with Megan Rapinoe) and ten points (tied with Rapinoe and Wambach).[129] To celebrate her achievements, she was honored at her former high school and the No. 13 jersey was retired.[130]
In 2012, Morgan led the U.S. in goals (28), multi-goal matches (9), assists (21) and points (77).[131] Her calendar year goals, assists and points totals are the third-best, tied second-best (one tally shy of record), and second-best, respectively, in USWNT history. Morgan joined an exclusive club as she and Hamm are the only USWNT players to record at least 20 goals and 20 assists in the same calendar year and became only the third and youngest player to reach 20 assists in a calendar year. Morgan and Wambach combined for 55 goals in 2012– matching a 21-year-old record set in 1991 by Michelle Akers (39 goals) and Carin Jennings (16 goals) as the most goals scored by any duo in USWNT history. She had either scored or assisted on 41 percent of the U.S.'s 120 goals this year. And, by herself, she comfortably out-scored and out-assisted her opponents, who combined for 21 goals and 12 assists in 32 matches against the U.S.[119]
For her excellence on the field, U.S. Soccer announced Morgan as the 2012 Female Athlete of the Year.[132] Morgan's exploits have also earned her a place on the FIFA Ballon d'Or shortlist, ultimately finished third in voting.[133]
2013–14
At the 2013 Algarve Cup, Morgan shared top-scoring honors. She finished the competition with four assists and three goals, including the equalizer against Sweden that advanced the U.S. to the final and the two goals against Germany that won the championship.[134][135] She previously won the tournament's golden boot in 2011.[136] On June 2, 2013, Morgan scored two-second-half goals as the U.S. defeated Canada 3–0 in front of a sold-out crowd in Toronto. This was the first match between U.S. and Canada since the epic semi-final of the 2012 Olympic Games.[137] Morgan was named to her third appearance on the 10-player short list for FIFA Women's World Player of the Year in 2013 and finished fourth in the voting.[138][139] For the inaugural CONCACAF Awards, she was recognized as the CONCACAF 2013 Female Player of the Year.[140] And as a part of U.S. Soccer's celebration of its Centennial anniversary the Federation revealed the U.S. Soccer's All-Time Women's National Team Best XI, she was youngest player selected at 24 years old.[141]
Morgan had a return of five goals in seven matches for the USWNT in 2014 after returning from injury before she reinjured her ankle at the 2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship, which ruled her out for the rest of tournament.[142]
2015 FIFA Women's World Cup
Morgan scored in a 1–0 friendly win over England in February upon her return to the international fold.[143] She was part of the USWNT that won its tenth Algarve Cup in 2015.[144] She scored in the 3–0 defeat of Switzerland.[145]
Morgan spent two months recovering from a knee injury in the build-up to the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. Morgan's knee injury happened in April during the NWSL season against the Boston Breakers.[146] She made her first start at the World Cup finals as the U.S. defeated Nigeria 1–0 in the last group match to advance as group winners.[147] She registered her only goal of the World Cup's knockout stage with the opener in the 2–0 last 16 win over Colombia.[148] Morgan did, however, win penalties for the USWNT in the 2–0 victories against Colombia in the last 16 and Germany in the semi-finals, respectively.[148][149][150] She then started the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup final as the USWNT defeated Japan 5–2 to win its third FIFA Women's World Cup.[151] Morgan played in all seven World Cup finals matches and started in every one of them since being restored to the starting XI against Nigeria.[152]
Morgan being challenged by Hikari Takagi (15) during a match against Japan in Cleveland on June 5, 2016
2016 Rio Olympics
At the first SheBelieves Cup competition in March 2016, an invitational four-team tournament consisted of England, France, Germany and the United States, Morgan was awarded the Golden Boot and the MVP award.[153] She scored in victories against France and Germany as the USWNT won the tournament with three wins from three.[154][155] Morgan scored eight goals during her first nine appearances of 2016.[153]
Morgan marked her 100th cap for the USWNT in a 5–0 friendly win against Republic of Ireland on January 23, by registering a goal and an assist.[156] At the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifiers in February, Morgan scored the fastest recorded goal in tournament history and in the history of the USWNT, netting after just 12 seconds, before later adding a second, in a 5–0 defeat of Costa Rica.[157] She followed this up with her third career hat-trick in a win against Trinidad and Tobago, as the USWNT secured their qualification for the Rio Olympics.[158][159] Morgan started in the qualification final against Canada, as the USWNT won 2–0 to be crowned tournament winners.[160] She was voted in the Best XI for the tournament.[161]
Morgan was named to the United States' 18-player roster for the Rio Olympics on July 12, 2016.[162] She started and scored a goal in the team's opening match vs New Zealand on August 3.[163] The United States was knocked out of the tournament in the quarter-final round via a penalty shootout loss to Sweden. Morgan scored the equalizer in regulation time to draw the match level, but missed her penalty in the ensuing shootout.[164] Morgan ended her 2016 national team goal scoring campaign with a brace of goals in the team's 8–1 victory over Romania on November 10.[165]
2017–2018
Alex Morgan in 2018
Morgan made three appearances at the 2017 SheBelieves Cup, including a start vs England on March 4.[166] On May 26, she was named to the team's roster for two abroad June friendlies vs Sweden and Norway, but withdrew in the coming days after suffering a hamstring injury.[167][168] Morgan was then included in the United States 23-player roster for the 2017 Tournament of Nations, where she scored one goal in a match vs Japan on August 3.[169][170] She ended the year strong, leading the team in goals scored with seven.[171]
In the lead up to the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, Morgan scored her 100th career international goal in a friendly vs Australia on April 4, 2019.[177] As a leader of the USWNT at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, Morgan scored five goals in the opening group game against Thailand to equal the World Cup single-game goals record set by Michelle Akers in 1991. Morgan also registered three assists in the game. The team's 13–0 scoreline set a new record for margin of victory in a World Cup match.[178][179] On July 2, 2019, Morgan became the first woman to score a world cup goal on her birthday, in a 2–1 win over England to reach the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup final.[180] In the final on July 7, Morgan helped win a penalty that was later converted by Megan Rapinoe to open the scoring, as the United States defeated the Netherlands 2–0. Morgan was awarded the tournament's Silver Boot; finishing as the joint-top scorer with six goals but losing out to Megan Rapinoe on a fewest minutes tiebreaker.[181][182] She was named to the bench in the opening friendly of the Victory Tour against Ireland but was unused before being ruled out for the rest with a season-ending ankle injury.[183][76]
2020 Tokyo Olympics
Alex Morgan in 2021
Morgan missed the 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship and 2020 SheBelieves Cup due to pregnancy. With club and international soccer severely disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic, Morgan made her national team comeback and first appearance under new head coach Vlatko Andonovski on November 27, 2020, in a friendly against the Netherlands, 509 days since her last appearance against the same opposition in the 2019 World Cup final.[184][185] In February 2021, she was named to the 2021 SheBelieves Cup roster.[186] In June 2021, Morgan was named in the 18-player United States Women's soccer team roster for the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics.[187] She appeared in all six matches for the United States in the tournament, which saw the team take home the bronze medal on August 5 following their 4–3 victory over Australia.[188] Morgan scored in the team's 6–1 group stage win over New Zealand on July 24, and converted a penalty kick in the team's quarter-final shootout win over the Netherlands on July 30.[189][190] On September 21, 2021, Morgan scored her sixth career international hat-trick for the United States in a friendly against Paraguay in Cincinnati.[191]
2022
Ahead of two abroad friendlies vs Australia in November 2021, USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski opted to leave a core group of veteran players off of his 22-player roster, which included Morgan.[192] He cited that he needed to give roster spots to younger players to award them valuable minutes ahead of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.[193] As a result of this decision, Morgan subsequently was not included in the 23-player roster for the 2022 SheBelieves Cup in February.[194] On June 13, 2022, Morgan was recalled to the national team ahead of two friendlies vs Colombia and the 2022 CONCACAF W Championship.[195] Morgan helped the team win their third consecutive CONCACAF title and directly qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics, scoring the game winner on a penalty kick in a 1–0 victory over Canada in the final.[196] She also helped the United States clinch qualification for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup scoring twice in the team's opening match against Haiti on July 4, and being in the squad for the team's 5–0 win over Jamaica on July 7.[197][198] She was named to the tournament's best XI and was awarded golden ball as the tournament's best player.[199] Morgan was also the joint top scorer of the tournament having scored three goals; tied with Julia Grosso, Jessie Fleming, and Khadija Shaw.[200]
2023 FIFA Women's World Cup
Morgan made her fourth World Cup appearance in 2023. She started all three group stage games, as well as the Round of 16 game against Sweden. However, she obtained no goals and only one assist over the course of the tournament.[201] The U.S. lost the match in a penalty shootout, making it the first time the team was eliminated before quarterfinals.
2024
After teammate Mia Fishel tore her ACL during the final day of training for the 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup, Morgan was called to the squad as her replacement. She wore the number 7 jersey instead of her usual 13. In their first game of the tournament, Morgan scored a goal against the Dominican Republic.[202]
Morgan was not selected to the 18-player roster for the 2024 Summer Olympics, making this the first major tournament for the United States without Morgan since the 2008 Olympics.[203] She announced her retirement from both club and international soccer on September 5, 2024, via a social media video, saying "It has been a long time coming, and this decision wasn't easy, but at the beginning of 2024 I felt in my heart and soul that this was the last season that I would play soccer."[103][204]
Other work
Books and television series
Morgan is a published novelist, and has featured in a number of advertisement campaigns and modeling assignments
In 2011, James Frey, whose daughter was a fan of Morgan, approached her with the idea of creating a book series based around soccer for young girls. The two worked together to create it and, in 2012, Morgan signed with Simon & Schuster to pen The Kicks, a four-book series for middle-grade readers.[205][206][207] The series is focused on four young girls and features themes of friendship, leadership, and soccer. In a statement released by the publisher, Morgan said she wanted her books to "inspire young girls" and "celebrate" her love of soccer. The first novel, Saving The Team, was released on May 14, 2013, followed by the second novel, Sabotage Season, on September 3, 2013.[208]Saving the Team debuted at number seven on The New York TimesBest Seller list for Children's Middle Grade in its first week of sales.[209] Frey's production company, Full Fathom Five, later produced a live-action kids comedy series based on the books, called The Kicks.[210] The series was greenlit by Amazon Prime in 2014 and began airing in 2015.[211]
In 2016, Morgan joined UNICEF Kid Power as a UNICEF Kid Power Champion, in an effort to fight global malnutrition and as well as raise awareness among kids, via the world's first "wearable for good", created by UNICEF.[230]
Sports diplomacy
In 2017, Morgan and her husband, Servando, traveled to Tanzania as Sports Envoys with the U.S. State Department's Sports Diplomacy Office. In Tanzania, the couple hosted soccer clinics and visited schools, contributing to Sports Diplomacy's mission to promote gender equality and inclusion through sport.[231]
In 2011, Morgan co-starred with national teammate Hope Solo in a television commercial promoting ESPN's SportsCenter.[248] Morgan and teammate Carli Lloyd were guests on Live with Kelly and Michael following the 2012 Summer Olympics in September 2012.[249] In 2013, Morgan appeared in the ESPN documentary series, Nine for IX. The Nine for IX documentary, The 99ers, in which she appeared focused on the success and legacy of the national team squad that won the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup.[250] In January 2015, she guest-starred on an episode of Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn entitled The Quad Test.[251] In April 2015, Morgan joined Abby Wambach on American Idol to announce that the show's season winner would record the official song for Fox's coverage of the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.[252] In May of the same year, her likeness appeared on The Simpsons along with Christen Press and Abby Wambach.[253] Morgan was a presenter at the 2015 ESPY Awards[254] and received an ESPY with her teammates for Best Team.[255] In 2018, Morgan made an appearance in the music video for the Maroon 5 song "Girls Like You", which features Cardi B. She was joined by fellow athletes Danica Patrick, Aly Raisman and Chloe Kim who also appeared in the video.[256] In June 2018, Morgan made her acting debut in the direct-to-video film Alex & Me with co-star Siena Agudong, where she portrays a poster of herself who comes to life.[257] On July 17, 2023, it was announced that Morgan will be one of the players featured in an upcoming Netflix documentary about the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team competing in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The docuseries is slated to premiere this fall.[258]
Video games
In July 2015, Morgan, and her Portland Thorns teammates Christine Sinclair and Steph Catley became the first female athletes to appear on the cover of EA Sports' latest FIFA video game, FIFA 16. Morgan, Sinclair, and Catley were chosen to appear on its region-specific packaging in the U.S., Canada, and Australia, respectively, alongside Lionel Messi, who appears in worldwide versions of the game. FIFA 16 was the first edition of the franchise to include women's international teams in the game.[259] In FIFA 19, Morgan was featured throughout The Journey as an interactive character and is credited with a voice role. She was also consulted by EA to help give insight and shape the world of Kim Hunter, the game mode's playable female character.[260]
Ticker tape parade and White House honor
Morgan and teammates during the ticker tape parade in New York City, July 2015
Alex Morgan married soccer player Servando Carrasco on New Year's Eve 2014.[264] The pair met at UC Berkeley where they both played soccer.[265] In October 2019, the couple announced they were expecting a baby girl in April 2020.[266] Their daughter was born on May 7 of that year.[267] During her retirement announcement video on September 5, 2024, Morgan announced that she was pregnant with her second child.[10]
Although the name has been used more rarely over time, Morgan was given the nickname "Baby Horse" by her teammates on the U.S. women's national team for her speed, running style, and youth.[268][269][270] Morgan received the key to the city of Diamond Bar, her hometown, on January 24, 2016.[271][272]
On October 1, 2017, Morgan was one of a group of athletes visiting Epcot in Bay Lake, Florida, who were described in a police incident report as being "impaired and verbally aggressive....toward staff and around guests". The three members of the group, including Morgan, were given trespass warnings banning them from Disney property, though no charges were filed. According to a deputy, Morgan was "yelling, screaming and....appeared to be highly impaired". The athlete later posted an apology in a Tweet that read, in part, "I will learn from this and make sure it does not happen again."[273]
In September 2017, Morgan and U.S. teammate Megan Rapinoe were the first two female players in the United States to sign up for the Common Goal campaign, created by Juan Mata of Manchester United, wherein players donate 1% of their wages to support soccer-related charities.[274]
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↑ "Alex Morgan joins Spurs Women" (Press release). Tottenham Hotspur. September 12, 2020. Archived from the original on September 14, 2020. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
Morgan, Alex (2015), Breakaway: Beyond the Goal, Simon and Schuster, ISBN1481451073
Grainey, Timothy (2012), Beyond Bend It Like Beckham: The Global Phenomenon of Women's Soccer, University of Nebraska Press, ISBN0803240368
Lisi, Clemente A. (2010), The U.S. Women's Soccer Team: An American Success Story, Scarecrow Press, ISBN0810874164
Longman, Jere (2009), The Girls of Summer: The U.S. Women's Soccer Team and How it Changed the World, HarperCollins, ISBN0061877689
Stevens, Dakota (2011), A Look at the Women's Professional Soccer Including the Soccer Associations, Teams, Players, Awards, and More, BiblioBazaar, ISBN1241047464
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