Alex Morgan, a name that holds a ton of weight in different realms. As many may have heard, the soccer icon and culture shifter, retired earlier this month.
Morgan is an American former professional soccer player and one of the most notable and impactful athletes of this century. Morgan’s work on and off the pitch will leave coaches, teammates, fans, dreamers, and many more missing her in her retirement.
The former forward from California has a resume that is off the charts.
Alex Morgan is a two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion (2015, 2019), co-captaining the U.S. team, and she even won the Silver Boot in 2019 for having the second most goals in the tournament. She scored an Olympic gold medal in the 2012 games, playing a huge role in the USA’s victory as she netted a crucial goal against Canada. Morgan also earned a bronze medal at the 2020 games. She was elected to FIFA FIFPro World XI three times.
Morgan didn’t just excel at the national level. At the club level, she won UEFA Women’s Champions League and Ligue 1 Féminine with Lyon in 2017. While playing in the NWSL, she was elected for Best XI multiple times. Individually, she won U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year twice, which is a major accomplishment in the sport. She also won an ESPY for being the best female athlete in 2019.
Morgan’s play on the field is her claim to fame, but her game off the field will leave a lasting memory.
Over the course of her career, Morgan has created a legacy for herself advocating for equal pay between men’s and women’s sports and gender equality, youth sports, and empowerment of women in all areas.
Morgan has been at the front of the fight for gender equality, more specifically fighting for equal pay for women athletes. Morgan was one of the leaders in the historic 2022 lawsuit for the USWNT against the US Soccer Federation.
“The Kicks,” a book series Morgan has written for children, promotes sportsmanship, and teamwork, and displays the importance of girls participating in sports. This children’s book series has even been adapted into a TV series.
Alongside other famous women athletes, Alex co-founded “Togethexr,” a sport media company that empowers female athletes. This media source allows for these women to tell their stories in a safe space, elevating both sports and culture.
In 2019, Morgan was named to the TIME Top 100 Most Influential People list of that year. This was for her unwavering support to women’s rights and equality, as well as her impact on the sport.
Alex Morgan’s talent on the pitch will be missed upon her retirement. However, her legacy and those she has inspired will continue on. Luckily, so will her off-the-field impact.
Not even Alex herself could understand how many people she gave something to. Whether you were just a fan, an aspiring soccer player, or a girl fighting to be equal, Morgan impacted you.
Alex’s impact has even made its way to Neumann.
“More people watch and play soccer because of her,” NU women’s soccer goalie, Kiki Soto said.
Soto describes how strong her impact was to all. Soto also noted how much she dominated both on and off the field.
“Women’s soccer wouldn’t be where it is today without her. She was a huge threat on the field, while also being a huge role model to kids around the world.” said Soto
Soto spoke about how important Morgan was to young female athletes as well. She commented on what specifically impacted her and others, she mentioned, “her presence on social media and participating in things like the She Believes Cup encourage girls to play sports.”
Soto revealed other ways youth female athletes were changed by Morgan. “I think she inspired so many little girls to play.”
And it wasn’t just the action, it was the attire too.
“You see so many girls wanting to wear number 13 or pink pre-wrap in their hair, and that’s because of her,” Soto states. It wasn’t enough for these young stars to play like Morgan, they wanted to look like her too.
Soto isn’t alone on how she sees Alex Morgan’s legacy, Catherine Miller, a teammate of Soto, agrees.
Catherine Miller, NU Women’s Soccer forward, preached how important Alex Morgan was for youth and women’s sports. The way she has empowered younger generations and women in sports clearly left a mark on Miller.
“Her talent and skill have brought a light upon women’s soccer as a whole and has single handedly opened so many doors for youth girls’ soccer,” Miller said.
Miller went on about how much of a role Morgan played making youth female athletes feel equal, which is one of Morgans main talking points as an advocate of women’s athletics.
“It’s honestly amazing to see,” she said. “For so long soccer has been a male-dominated sport, like most others, but because of this past generation of athletes, attention continues to be drawn to women’s soccer.” commented Miller.
Alex Morgan made everyone watch. Lighting up the pitch, there was no limit to who supported her and the teams she was on. Why wouldn’t you want to support a legend?
Another thing Miller won’t forget about Morgan is the success she achieved with the USWNT. “She loves this country and would have represented it at any cost.”
Who could forget the World Cups, the medals, and the clutch performances? The country watched and celebrated, largely because of #13.
The way she played turned heads, and the passion she played with made them fans.
“Her love and passion for the game… every time Alex stepped onto the pitch, you could just see the joy on her face,” is what Miller says she will miss most about Morgan in her next chapter.
Soto was commented on what she will miss most upon Morgans retirement, “her talent on the field, her advocation for equality, and her leadership will all be missed.”
There is no doubt she will be missed on the field in her retirement, but luckily the person Morgan has made herself throughout her career will stick around.
The way she made every female soccer player will last a lifetime. The inspiration she provided to countless young female athletes will never be forgotten. The entertainment she provided to sports fans and Americans everywhere will be spoken about for ages.
Morgan’s legacy has reached everywhere and everyone from A to Z. It has even made its way to Neumann, as our own athletes rave about everything Morgan has done for them and for others.
Alex Morgan may have created her story between the lines, but her legacy will continue to roll across. We all know #13’s impact isn’t over.
