close
close

Alex Morgan ends his football career with the last 13 minutes for the Wave against the Courage

More than a decade in the NWSL. 224 appearances with the US women's national team. Triple winner with Lyon. Two world championship titles. One Olympic gold medal.

After numerous other accolades on and off the field, Alex Morgan's soccer career ended after a symbolic 13 minutes in the San Diego Waves' game against North Carolina Courage on Sunday. In the 10th minute, Morgan had one last shot to add to her tally with a penalty kick, but Courage goalkeeper Casey Murphy saved the attempt. Three minutes later, she took off her soccer cleats and handed her captain's armband to teammate Kailen Sheridan as chants of her name echoed through Snapdragon Stadium.

The striker announced her abrupt retirement on Thursday as she and husband Servando Carrasco are expecting their second child. The announcement meant Sunday was the last time she would secure her selection before the end of her contract and take to the field for her club or country.

Morgan has been with the Wave since 2022 and describes the move as a homecoming. She previously played for Orlando Pride, Portland Thorns, Lyon in France in 2017 and Tottenham Hotspur during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her last game for the USWNT came in June, a 3-0 win over South Korea in Minnesota under new head coach Emma Hayes, but she was left off the Olympic roster that summer in favor of younger players.

The 35-year-old ends her career with a World Cup title in 2015 and 2019 and two Olympic medals (gold in 2012 and bronze in 2021). She scored 123 goals in 224 appearances for the USA, putting her fifth on the all-time goalscoring list. But more importantly, she leaves behind a great legacy off the field, including leading the USWNT players' fight for equal pay and serving as a key witness for Mana Shim and later Sinead Farrelly, as they officially declared. The athlete in 2019 to share their stories of the abuse they suffered in the NWSL.

Required reading

(Top photo: Abe Arredondo / USA Today)

You may also like...