On Thursday, one of the all-time greats in women’s soccer announced her retirement, with Alex Morgan set to bring her 14-year professional career to a close this weekend.
She walks away having made 223 international appearances for the U.S. women’s national team, scoring 123 goals – good for fifth all-time. With two World Cups, an Olympic gold medal, NWSL championship and UEFA Women’s Champions League trophy in her cabinet, there are few players with more accolades than Morgan.
Upon making her national team debut, she did so in the shadow of players such as Mia Hamm and Abby Wambach. She leaves her USWNT career having left her own legacy, one that will inspire generations to come.
On top of her illustrious career, Morgan has also made an undeniable impact off of the field. She was one of the key players in the USWNT’s fight for equal pay. It culminated in a victory in 2022, with a settlement and CBA leading to equal compensation structures for both the U.S. men’s and women’s teams.
In 2021, she was a key name behind reports that former head coach Paul Riley had allegedly sexually coerced former players. She spoke out in support of former teammates Sinead Farrelly and Mana Shim, using her platform to highlight those who reportedly ignored the concerns raised by the players. What followed was a league wide reckoning with abuse. An investigation commissioned by the U.S. Soccer Federation in 2022 and led by former deputy attorney general Sally Yates exposed issues within the NWSL regarding accountability, player safety, and a system that failed to address player complaints.
In 2022, the NWSL and its players association announced its first Collective Bargaining Agreement, which has since been re-negotiated in a landmark announcement in August.
After such an incredible career it’s hard to point out Morgan’s most memorable moments, INDIVISA highlights 10 of them.
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