Alex Morgan, a pivotal member of the USWNT World Cup runs and a legend when it comes to soccer in the United States announced on Thursday that not only is she pregnant with her second child but is going to retire after she plays her final game for the San Diego Wave on September 8th against the North Carolina Courage.
The 35-year-old Morgan made the announcement in a video on Twitter saying, “I have so much clarity about this decision, and I am so happy to be able to finally tell you,” Morgan said in the video. “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.”
“I grew up on this team, it was so much more than soccer,” Morgan said in a statement from U.S. Soccer. “It was the friendships and the unwavering respect and support among each other, the relentless push for global investment in women’s sports, and the pivotal moments of success both on and off the field.
“I am so incredibly honored to have borrowed the crest for more than 15 years. I learned so much about myself in that time and so much of that is a credit to my teammates and our fans. I feel immense pride in where this team is headed, and I will forever be a fan of the USWNT.
“My desire for success may have always driven me, but what I got in return was more than I could have ever asked and hoped for.”
Morgan finishes a storied international career with 123 international goals good for fifth on the all-time list for U.S. women, two World Cups, and an Olympic Gold Medal. Morgan was most recently left off of this year’s U.S. squad that went on to win Olympic gold in Paris in a bold move by head coach Emma Hayes who opted to go with a younger team which ultimately paid off.
On the club side, Morgan tallied 81 goals over 183 appearances including stops stateside with the Orlando Pride and San Diego Wave among others as well as in Europe with Lyon and Tottenham.
