Legendary U.S. forward Alex Morgan is officially retired from soccer. Morgan made a cameo appearance in San Diego Wave FC’s 4-1 loss to the North Carolina Courage on Sunday, marking her final game as a pro.
Morgan announced earlier in the week that she will retire after the game against Courage. She originally intended to walk away from sport at the end of the season but ended up speeding up the process after learning she was pregnant with her second child.
Morgan had the opportunity to get a dream farewell after Wave got a penalty kick in the 10th minute. She stepped in to take the responsibility, but Courage’s goalie, Casey Murphy, ended up denying her the goal.
Morgan exited the game in the 13th minute, a fitting nod to the No. 13 she wore on her back throughout her career on both club and international levels.
“What a ride it’s been. I want to thank my teammates. You have constantly challenged me every day and made me better,” Morgan said after the game. “I want to thank my family who have relentlessly supported me, sacrificed so much for me. I love you guys — all 95 of you who are here tonight. And the fans. You pushed me to be my best self every day. You pushed me to be the best soccer player, to be the best mom, to be the best person I could be.”
Alex Morgan is considered one of the soccer legends. With the United States women’s national team, Morgan won an Olympic gold medal in 2012 and FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2015 and 2019. She played a total of 224 games with USWNT and scored 123 goals.
