Alex Morgan’s Shocking Retirement: Why She’s Leaving Soccer for Good!

Alex Morgan, one of the most successful goal scorers and celebrated players in the history of the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT), and one of the most recognized figures in women’s soccer worldwide, has officially announced her retirement from professional soccer.

Morgan, who also shared that she is expecting her second child, will play her final professional match on Sunday, September 8, when the San Diego Wave faces the North Carolina Courage at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California.

“I grew up with this team; it was about so much more than just soccer,” said Morgan, who joined her first USWNT training camp in 2009 at the age of 20. “It was about the friendships, the mutual respect and unwavering support among each other, the relentless push for global investment in women’s sports, and the significant moments of achievement both on and off the field. I am incredibly honored to have worn the crest for over 15 years. I have learned so much about myself during this time, and a lot of that is thanks to my teammates and our fans. I am immensely proud of where this team is headed, and I will always be a loyal supporter of the USWNT. My drive for success might have always fueled me, but what I received in return was more than I could have ever hoped for.”

At 35, Morgan wraps up an outstanding 15-year professional career, during which she scored numerous important goals for the U.S. Women’s National Team and rose to become one of the most famous female soccer players globally due to her impressive scoring, vibrant personality, advocacy for women’s sports, equality, and relentless pursuit of victory. Her impact on women’s soccer is unparalleled, and her inspirational interactions with her fans have been exceptional.

Morgan finished her USWNT career with 123 goals, ranking fifth all-time, and 53 assists, which places her ninth in U.S. history. The USA’s record in matches where Morgan played is 177 wins, 15 losses, and 32 draws. She scored in 86 of her 224 international appearances, ranking ninth all-time in U.S. history, made 158 starts, and captained the USA 23 times. Remarkably, in the 86 matches where Morgan scored, the USWNT never lost, achieving 76 wins and 10 draws.

With a combined total of 176 goals and assists, Morgan ranks fifth in USWNT history, following Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach, Kristine Lilly, and Carli Lloyd. Since scoring her first goal in 2010 against China PR, Morgan has scored against 32 different countries, with the most goals coming against Japan (12 goals). She also scored ten goals against Canada, nine against Mexico, eight against New Zealand, seven each against France and Thailand, and six each against Costa Rica, Sweden, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Morgan’s last match in a U.S. uniform was on June 4, 2024, against the Korea Republic, and her final goal came against Argentina on February 23, 2024, in the Concacaf W Gold Cup. Appropriately, that goal was scored in Carson, California, just 40 miles from Morgan’s hometown of Diamond Bar.

Her second-to-last goal for the USWNT came against the Dominican Republic on February 20, 2024. It was her 27th career goal as a substitute, nine more than any other player in the team’s history.

Morgan ends her international career ranked third in U.S. history for two-goal games (23), behind only Wambach (37) and Hamm (28). Her 29 multi-goal games are also behind only Wambach (45) and Hamm (38). Of her 123 international goals, only five were penalty kicks.

Morgan earned the nickname “Baby Horse” early in her career for her speed and energetic playing style. She scored her first four USWNT goals in 2010 and quickly outgrew that nickname as she became a leading face of the U.S. team and women’s soccer.

Morgan scored her first USWNT goal on March 31, 2010, but truly made her mark on November 20 of that year when she scored in stoppage time against Italy in Padova during the first leg of the Women’s World Cup playoff, securing a 1-0 win and a key advantage for the USA heading into the second leg in Chicago, which they won 1-0 to qualify for the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

It was in Germany, at that tournament, where Morgan truly burst onto the global stage. Coming off the bench in five of six games, she joined Wambach as the first two U.S. players to score in both a World Cup Semifinal and Final. The USA lost the World Cup Final in a penalty shootout, but Morgan’s future would hold more world championships.

At the 2012 Olympics, Morgan scored three goals and provided four assists. She delivered one of the most dramatic goals in U.S. history in the semifinal by heading in a ball during the 123rd minute against Canada, giving the USA a 4-3 victory. This goal remains the latest ever scored in a FIFA women’s world championship.

In 2012, Morgan had one of the best scoring years for any player in U.S. history, netting 28 goals and 21 assists. Mia Hamm is the only other U.S. player to have a year with at least 20 goals and 20 assists, achieving those exact numbers in 1998. Morgan’s 2012 goal total is the third highest in USWNT history for a single calendar year, and her assist total is tied for the second highest ever.

Morgan won the first of her two U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year awards in 2012, winning again in 2018. She was named to the FIFA FIFPRO World XI six times, the second most in history. She also finished second twice in the voting for FIFA Women’s Player of the Year and third once. Morgan was named Concacaf Female Player of the Year four times, including winning the inaugural award in 2013.

Morgan played a major role in the USA’s back-to-back FIFA Women’s World Cup victories, appearing in 13 of 14 matches across the 2015 and 2019 tournaments, scoring seven goals and providing four assists. In 2019, she scored a critical header against England in the semifinal and celebrated with her famous “tea-sipping” gesture. She also earned a penalty kick in the World Cup Final against the Netherlands, which Megan Rapinoe converted to give the USA a 1-0 lead. In the opening game of the 2019 World Cup, Morgan tied a U.S. and World Cup record by scoring five goals against Thailand.

Morgan played in 22 World Cup matches, scoring nine goals, and participated in 16 Olympic matches, scoring six goals.

She scored one of the most significant goals of 2022 when she converted a penalty kick to defeat Canada 1-0 in the Concacaf W Championship final, helping the USA secure a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics after already qualifying for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup earlier in that tournament.

Her goal against Nigeria on September 3, 2022, made her the 14th U.S. player to score against teams from all six FIFA Confederations.

In 2008, Morgan helped lead the USA to the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup title in Chile, on a team coached by the legendary Tony DiCicco. Morgan scored four goals in the tournament, including the game-winner in the final, a 2-1 victory over Korea DPR. She won the Silver Ball as the second-best player in the tournament and the Bronze Shoe as the third-leading scorer.

Morgan gave birth to her first child, daughter Charlie, on May 7, 2020, and returned to play in the 2021 Olympics and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She was the 14th mother to play for the USWNT, and with her goal against Brazil on February 22, 2023, she surpassed Joy Fawcett to become the all-time leading scorer for the USWNT as a mother, finishing her career with 16 goals as a mom.

At the professional club level, Morgan was a pioneer in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), playing in the league every year of its existence. Her club career included stints in Europe at Olympique Lyon in 2017, where she helped the club win the treble—the league, French Cup, and UEFA Champions League—and at Tottenham Hotspur in 2020. She began her NWSL career with the Portland Thorns (2013-2015), winning the inaugural NWSL title, and then played for the Orlando Pride (2016-2021) before finishing her last two and a half seasons with the San Diego Wave, where she scored 22 goals. She won the NWSL Golden Boot in 2022 with 15 goals.

Morgan also played one season in the short-lived Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) league after being selected first in the 2011 WPS Draft by the Western New York Flash. She helped the Flash win the WPS regular season and league titles that year.

Alexandra Patricia Morgan was born in San Dimas, California, and grew up in the Los Angeles suburb of Diamond Bar, where she attended Diamond Bar High School. She joined Cypress Elite at the age of 14 and, despite suffering an ACL tear as a teenager, worked her way up to the U.S. U-20 WNT while earning a scholarship to the University of California, Berkeley. There, she scored 45 goals for the Golden Bears and became a four-time All-Pac-10 selection and a First-Team All-American.