Alex Morgan hung up her boots on Sunday. The American was one of the most successful female soccer players in the world and a significant voice for social justice and the advancement of women and girls in sport.
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- Alex Morgan, one of the most successful female soccer players in the world, retired on Sunday.
- Morgan played 224 times for the USA (123 goals, 53 assists) and won two World Cups as well as Olympic gold.
- Morgan was not only an outstanding athlete, but also a significant voice for social justice and the advancement of women and girls in sport. Her achievements go far beyond sport.
Alex Morgan played 224 times for the USA, scoring 123 goals and setting up 53 others. She won the World Cup title with the US team in 2015 and 2019. In the second triumph, she led the team as captain and scored five goals and three assists in a record 13-0 win to open the World Cup. In the semi-final she scored against England to make it 2-1 and in the 2-0 win against the Netherlands in the final she took the penalty, which Megan Rapinoe converted to make it 1-0.
Morgan also won gold at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Many other titles, such as the Champions League triumph with Lyon in 2017, as well as individual awards followed. Alex Morgan was definitely one of the best-known and most successful female footballers in the world, even though she was no longer a member of the US team that won Olympic gold in Paris. She played her last game for the national team on June 4 against South Korea.
Morgan says goodbye to the fans
On Instagram, where the 35-year-old is followed by ten million fans, Morgan announced her retirement last week in an emotional video on the verge of tears. In addition to her retirement, the two-time world champion also announced that she was pregnant for the second time. In 2020, the world-class striker gave birth to a daughter.
On Sunday, she laced up her boots for the last time and played for her club San Diego Wave in the US professional league NWL. In the 13th minute of the game, Morgan, who had worn the number 13 for much of her career, was substituted to the thunderous applause of the fans, her teammates and the opposing team. While still on the pitch, she took off her football boots and, visibly moved, waved to the crowd and gratefully distributed air kisses.
After the game, she addressed the fans once again in the stadium. "I'm trying to keep this short without crying. What a journey it's been." She thanked her teammates and her family and then addressed the crowd: "You pushed me to be my best self every day. You pushed me to be the best footballer, the best mother, the best person I can be." A thank you "from the bottom of my heart".
Fighter for justice off the pitch
As mentioned at the beginning, Morgan was much more than just an outstanding footballer. In 2019, she was one of the players who sued the American Soccer Association and demanded that women in the national teams receive the same pay as men. Two years later, the association finally introduced equal pay. The introduction of guidelines in the league in 2021 to prevent harassment was also thanks to Alex Morgan.
When she became a mother for the first time in May 2020, it was practically the end of her career. You would have thought so. After all, the football world was not yet prepared for a top-level footballer becoming a mother. But Morgan proved that it was possible to come back. Her motherhood and comeback had a huge impact on her colleagues, who took Morgan as a role model. Many associations and clubs are now also prepared and have introduced maternity leave, for example.
Morgan has been campaigning for women's rights and the promotion of girls in sport for years. She can be seen in commercials, is a welcome guest on TV shows, has been on the cover of the video game FIFA, is a UNICEF ambassador and supports various social projects that help children and young people around the world. She is the co-founder of the media platform TOGETHXR, which celebrates and empowers women in sport and culture, and is the author of several children's books, including "The Kicks" series, which is about a girls' football team. This list is not exhaustive.
Daughter wants to be a footballer
Following the announcement of her retirement, artistic gymnastics high-flyer Simone Biles, skiing star Mikaela Shiffrin and many other stars have spoken out and paid tribute to Morgan for her services. But what Morgan liked best was that her daughter Charlie told her that she wanted to be a soccer player. The fact that it is now a matter of course for a four-year-old girl to dream of a professional career as a footballer would have been unimaginable when she was a child. It is also thanks to Morgan that this is now possible.
