Two-time world champion for the US national team Alex Morgan has announced her retirement from soccer at the age of 35.
The San Diego Wave forward, who also helped her country to Olympic gold in 2012, won the Champions League with Lyon in 2017 and won national titles with both the Portland Thorns and Western New York Flash, has said her last game will be at home on Sept. 8 against North Carolina Courage.
In a tear-jerking video posted to social media, Morgan also revealed that she is pregnant with her second child, a situation she called unexpected but overjoyed about. She added that she had already decided to retire in early 2024 this year.
Morgan was left out of the US squad that won gold at the Paris Olympics under new coach Emma Hayes, a decision that effectively ended her international career.
Morgan has been a face of women’s soccer worldwide for most of her career, which has spanned three decades, scoring 123 goals in 224 games for the US.
“I’ll get to the point quickly: I’m retiring,” Morgan said. “I have so much clarity on this decision and I’m so happy to finally be able to tell you. It’s been a long time coming and this decision wasn’t easy, but in early 2024 I felt in my heart and soul that this was the last season.
“Football has been a part of me for 30 years and it was one of the first things I ever loved. I gave everything to this sport and what I got back was more than I could have ever imagined.”
after newsletter promotion
Morgan, who has also played for clubs including Tottenham and Orlando Pride, is a two-time FIFA Best Awards finalist and won the 2022 NWSL Golden Boot. At the height of her powers, she helped her country win back-to-back World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019, having also reached the 2011 World Cup final. She gave birth for the first time in 2020 and returned to the national team five months later.
“[My daughter] Charlie came up to me the other day and said she wants to be a footballer when she grows up and that made me so proud, not because I want her to be a footballer when she grows up but because there is a pathway that even a four-year-old can see now,” Morgan added. “We are changing lives and the impact we are having on the next generation is irreversible. I am proud [of] the hand I had in bringing it about.
“This isn’t the retirement video I expected when I first thought I was going to be here, because Charlie is going to be a big sister. I’m pregnant. And as unexpected as this was, we’re so happy. Family means everything to me.
“I want to thank the fans for their support, for always taking what we say and amplifying it. I also have to thank my team behind the scenes, teammates, coaches, staff. Everyone who has played a part in my career has played a part in making me who I am today. I have been shaped into who I am because of you, because of football. I am eternally grateful.
“It was a vibe. Thank you.”