US soccer legend Alex Morgan bid an emotional farewell to football on Sunday as she played the final match of her illustrious career before retiring. The 35-year-old forward had announced her decision to retire just days earlier after revealing she was expecting her second child. Morgan featured for the first 13 minutes in San Diego Wave’s 4-1 defeat to North Carolina Courage in the National Women’s Soccer League.
Reflecting on her career, Morgan addressed the crowd, saying, “What a journey it has been. I owe so much to my teammates for pushing me to improve every day.”
Morgan, fighting back tears, expressed gratitude to her family for their support and sacrifices and thanked her fans for their continuous encouragement, saying, “You made me strive to be the best soccer player, mom, and person I could be.”
Fans showed their appreciation, holding signs with messages like “Thank You Alex” and wearing shirts emblazoned with “SAND13GOAT” in tribute to her club and jersey number.
Morgan’s final game saw her substituted in the 13th minute, a nod to her jersey number, following a saved penalty attempt. She waved goodbye to the fans, exchanging hugs with her teammates as the crowd chanted her name.
In a pre-match interview with CBS, Morgan shared that she was in high spirits, “I’ve been smiling a lot these past few days, as it was difficult to keep both the retirement and pregnancy a secret.”
Morgan’s career was marked by her pivotal role in the 2015 and 2019 US Women’s World Cup victories, and her advocacy for gender equality in sports. Over her 14-year international career, Morgan scored 123 goals, making her the fifth all-time top scorer for the US women’s team, along with 53 assists.
Her final appearance for the US came in June 2023 against South Korea, with her last international goal scored in February 2023 during the Women’s Gold Cup. Morgan also played key roles in 22 Women’s World Cup matches, scoring nine times, and in 16 Olympic matches, netting six goals.
In club football, Morgan won a league title with Portland in 2013 and played for Lyon in 2017, where she helped the team win the French league, French Cup, and UEFA Champions League.
