Alex Morgan, two-time Women's World Cup champion, announced her retirement from soccer Thursday in a tearful video telling fans that she is proud to have played a hand in "pushing the game forward" for young girls.
The 35-year-old forward also announced that she's expecting her second child. But before that news, Morgan said that she knew at the beginning of the year that would be her final season with the National Women's Soccer League.
Morgan will play her final game with the San Diego Wave football club on Saturday.
"Soccer has been a part of me for 30 years, and it was one of the first things that I ever loved, and I gave everything to this sport," Morgan said in an Instagram video. "And what I got in return was more than I could have ever dreamed of. Success for me is defined by never giving up and giving your all — and I did just that."
Morgan went on to say that she gave her all for the "relentless push" for investment in women's sports. She recounted a recent moment with her 4-year-old daughter Charlie, who she shares with husband and fellow soccer player Servando Carrasco.
Charlie told her mother that when she grows up, she wants to be a soccer player.
"And it just made me, look, immensely proud, not because I wish for her to become a soccer player when she grows up, but because a pathway exists that even a 4-year-old can see now," Morgan said. "We're changing lives and the impact we have on the next generation is irreversible."
Last year, Morgan broke the record for most goals scored with the U.S. women’s national team as a mother. She beat the previous record of 13 set by Joy Fawcett — a member of the team’s iconic '91ers — during a game in the She Believes Cup.
Morgan was not only part of the U.S. women's national soccer team incredible back-to-back FIFA Women's World Cup wins in 2015 and 2019, but was part of the squad's push for equality. The women sued U.S. Soccer over unequal pay with the national men’s team.
While the U.S. women's team has won multiple Olympic medals and World Cup tournaments, the men's team has never had substantial success on the international stage. Their biggest World Cup achievement was placing third in 1930.
The U.S. Soccer federation settled the suit for $24 million in 2022, which Morgan described as a "proud moment for all of us" in an interview with NBC's "TODAY" show. But she added that the work was not over.
"U.S. Soccer has agreed to equalize the prize money moving forward, obviously we call on FIFA to truly equalize that for men’s and women’s tournaments,” Morgan said. “That’s really what we set out to do. Equalize on all fronts.”
Morgan is also a three-time Olympian, with both a gold and bronze medal playing for Team USA. She was not included in this year's roster for the 2024 Paris Games, but cheered her friends and former teammates on from afar over social media.
In Thursday's announcement, Morgan thanked her family, friends, fans and team for all the support they have offered her through the years.
"I am forever grateful," Morgan said. "I cannot wait to celebrate with you one last game. It's been a ride. And thank you."
Her Instagram post was flooded with supportive comments, including WNBA star Caitlin Clark sharing goat emojis — a shorthand for "greatest of all time."
"What a legacy you’re leaving…you’re an inspiration for so many, including me!!" Olympic skier Mikaela Shiffrin commented.
Sofia Jakobsson, one of Morgan's San Diego teammates, wrote that she was "forever grateful" to know Morgan as both a player and a person.
"One of the best to ever play this game, not only did you play amazing and inspire millions of kids out there, you changed the game for the better for so many who now coming after you," Jakobsson wrote.
Rising star Trinity Rodman posted on her own Instagram that there were "no words" for Morgan.
"No words...ur amazing thank you for paving the way for me and so many others," Rodman wrote.
Mallory Swanson and Sophia Smith, who with Rodman formed a formidable trio at this year's Olympics, also posted Morgan's announcement to their stories and thanked her for her dedication to the sport.
The USWNT official Instagram account posted a series of "#ThankYouAlex" posts and congratulated Charlie on her "promotion" to big sister. One of the posts asked fans to share their favorite of Morgan's 224 caps, a term used for a player's international appearances.
"Nothing beats the 2012 Olympic match v Canada. In the… 122 minute.. in stoppage time," one fan commented. "I’ll never forget that header. I cried. Great freaking match!!"
Another wrote, "The first time she stepped out on the pitch in that red pre wrapped head band. She has had everyone since that first step."
Morgan has had a prolific international career, which began in 2010 in a friendly against Mexico. The game was played in Utah and with snow falling, a first for the Southern California native.
She's had a total of 123 goals with the USWNT and ranks third for the most two-goal games. Morgan is preceded by retired soccer legends Mia Hamm and Abby Wambach in that particular statistic.
Morgan played with Wambach early in her career, a mentorship experience that Morgan said was deeply influential to her.
During an episode of the "We Can Do Hard Things" podcast in 2022, Morgan shared that their 2012 Olympic gold medal win felt like a "big sister, little sister" moment.
Wambach described Morgan as one of her favorite athletes. She noted that she knew Morgan belonged because she felt like her life was easier on the field, something she had not experienced since Hamm’s retirement in 2004.
"I could see something in her that was very different than any other new kid that ever came on the team," Wambach said. "It was like she was able to hold an immense amount of pressure and also perform, which is rare."
In a press release from the USWNT, Morgan described her time with the national team as "so much more than soccer."
"I learned so much about myself in that time and so much of that is a credit to my teammates and our fans," Morgan said. "I feel immense pride in where this team is headed, and I will forever be a fan of the USWNT."
