Top athletes from all sports praise Alex Morgan as he prepares for his final professional game

WNBA star Caitlin Clark used the word “legend.” Gymnast Simone Biles thanked for promoting women’s sports.

As Alex Morgan prepared for her final professional game on Sunday, praise for the U.S. soccer star announcing her retirement came from across the sporting landscape – from Biles to fellow U.S. soccer player Christian Pulisic.

“She's obviously contributed a lot, scored a lot of goals. It feels like I've been watching her for quite a while,” Pulisic said. “Amazing career.”

Morgan, 35, surprised many when On Thursday she announced her retirement from professional football. The San Diego Wave striker is expecting her second child with husband Servando Carrasco, a former MLS player. They have a four-year-old daughter, Charlie.

During her 15-year career, Morgan made 224 appearances for the national team, scoring 123 goals (fifth on her career list) and 53 assists (ninth). She was named U.S. Soccer Player of the Year in 2012 and 2018.

She helped the United States win two world championships and an Olympic gold medal in 2012.

She was a founding member of the National Women's Soccer League and played for the Portland Thorns, Orlando Pride and the Wave. She also played internationally for Lyon and Tottenham.

Off the field, she was a respected advocate for women's sport, fighting for equal pay and better working conditions for players on the national team and their clubs.

“She will never get enough credit for the difference she made, both in and outside of the sport,” said U.S. striker Trinity Rodman. “I just looked up to her.”

Biles wrote on social media: “Congratulations on an incredible career. Thank you for supporting women's sports!” She added both heart and goat emojis – which are used to indicate “Greatest of All Time.”

Clark simply wrote “Legend” with four goat emojis before adding “Congratulations!!”.

Landon Donovan, interim coach of the Wave and a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame, said Saturday that Morgan helped elevate women's sports overall and soccer in the United States and around the world.

“She is one of the most important figures in the history of football, whether men's or women's football,” he said, adding that he hoped the Wave could celebrate her with a win.

Skier Mikaela Shiffrin posted: “What a legacy you leave behind… you are an inspiration to so many, including me!!”

Morgan said she will play only a few minutes in Sunday's game between the Wave and the North Carolina Courage. About 80 family members and friends will be in attendance at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego.

Tickets for the game went so quickly that the Wave had to open the upper deck, which is normally unused during NWSL games. As of Friday, more than 25,000 tickets had been sold for the 32,000-capacity stadium.

The game will be broadcast or streamed simultaneously by all of NWSL's media partners – ESPN2, CBS Sports Network, Paramount+, Prime TV, NWSL+ and KUSI, a local San Diego station – so fans can watch Morgan's farewell in multiple ways.

The league said it was the first time a women's sporting event in the United States was broadcast simultaneously on multiple channels and stations.

“Her confidence is at a whole new level and her relentless fight for what's right – the way she stands up for herself, her teammates and her fellow players – to make things better in the world is just incredible,” said Washington Spirit midfielder Andi Sullivan. “It's been an honor to be around her and to be influenced by her and to take the lessons we've learned from her and carry them forward.”

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