Excerpt: On September 5th, 2024, women’s soccer icon Alex Morgan announced her retirement from the sport. Not only did Morgan leave behind a legacy through her medals and scores, but she also left behind a legacy through her immense impact on women’s soccer. For three decades now, Alex Morgan has been the face of the sport that every little girl looks up to. As Morgan says a final farewell to her craft, most of us can’t wrap our heads around her legacy. Today, I’ve compiled bits and pieces of her impact to share a look at Alex Morgan’s legacy on the world.
Alex Morgan’s versatile athleticism showed in the early years of her life. She grew up playing multiple sports, but capitalized on her love for soccer as a teenager. With both her speed and agility, she progressed rapidly and soon became a standout in the sport. Morgan attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned her bachelor’s degree and advanced her soccer career in collegiate soccer. In 2008, Morgan scored the game-winning goal during the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, and aided the team in securing the gold. Shortly after graduating college, Morgan was announced as the first overall pick in what was then called the “Women’s Professional Soccer” draft. The Western New York Flash picked Morgan up, and her professional career jetted off from there.
That same summer, in 2011, Morgan was not only the youngest player on the USWNT at the FIFA World Cup, but she also scored her very first professional soccer goal. Morgan was also a shining star on the 2012 and 2020 Olympic teams, winning gold in 2012 and bronze in 2020. When the WPS was no longer a league, Morgan joined the Seattle Sounders team, which was a part of the now Women’s Premier Soccer League. A short year later, Morgan found her forever club soccer home in the National Women’s Soccer League. From there, she played with the Portland Thorns and Orlando Pride and ended her career with the San Diego Wave.
With Morgan, the USWNT won 2 FIFA World Cup titles. Starting in 2011, Morgan had to prove her spot on the team. Though she scored for the first time as a professional soccer player here, at the end of the day, the U.S. lost their last match to Japan. In 2015, Morgan and the rest of the USWNT were back for blood. In the 52nd minute against Columbia, Morgan shot, and though the Columbian goalie tried to deflect the pass, the strength and timing of Morgan’s pass trumped all forces as she scored. That year’s team would go on to win the FIFA World Cup with a fairytale finish. Four years later, Morgan was prepared to execute an even better performance in their upcoming World Cup tournament. During the first match of the 2019 FIFA World Cup against Thailand, Morgan secured five goals. This achievement tied the record for the most individual goals in a FIFA Women’s World Cup game. Though the USWNT would go on to win it all, and Morgan would score one more goal, Morgan sustained a minor knee injury that became worse once she returned to the Orlando Pride two matches in.
As Alex Morgan’s soccer career took off, she became a very well-known public figure. Not only did she entertain on the field, but she was very outspoken off the field. Morgan made a point to continue to pave the way for future young girls to follow in her footsteps. She emphasized the importance of representation inside the sport and fighting for what is right. Throughout her career, Morgan has fought for multiple reforms in the NWSL, started the Alex Morgan Foundation, and fought vigorously for equal pay for the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team. In 2021, Morgan asked the NWSL for a handbook of rules and guidelines for the league to follow. When there was nothing about harassment policies inside of the handbook, Morgan recruited 200 plus women players to sign a letter to ensure a safe environment for the entire league of women at work. Morgan eventually motioned for the approval of the first anti-harassment policy inside of the league. This bravery and determination is what led to a brighter and more inclusive future for women’s soccer.
With as impressive of a career as Alex Morgan had achieved so far, many were interested to see how she completed it. As monumental as her previous scores and records were, the final days of her career were overpowered by her involvement off of the field. At the summit of her soccer career, directly after the U.S. won the 2019 FIFA World Cup, Morgan saw the spotlight she and other players received and ran with it. She used the spotlight to draw attention to her previously emphasized issue inside the sport, equal pay. Morgan was one of the 28 players on the USWNT to sue their employer after many had previously filed the equal employment opportunity claim that failed to make much significant progress. Though a judge in 2020 rejected the women’s claim for equal pay, Morgan and multiple other players, including Megan Rapinoe, vowed to continue the fight. In addition to her advocacy that year, Morgan welcomed home her first child in May 2020 and continued to play her sport for four more years.
Morgan closed out her professional soccer career at the San Diego Wave game against North Carolina Courage on September 8th, 2024. She played 13 minutes during the game, which paid homage to her longest-reigning jersey number. As expected, she received a lengthy standing ovation for her decade’s worth of achievement, advocacy, and allyship.
Alex Morgan symbolizes the immense growth that women’s soccer has experienced over the past few decades. She has brought more visibility, attention, and overall awareness to the sport through her work on and off the field. Morgan influenced a generation of little girls and her impact has not stopped there. With every trailblazer inside of women’s soccer comes a stream of young women who gained the confidence to pursue their dreams because of those who came before them. Although Morgan has stepped away from the game that she gave her life to, she has vowed to continue to fight off the field.
Thank you, Alex Morgan!
