U.S. Soccer Legend Alex Morgan’s Heartfelt Final Exit From Field

After a 14-year professional and international career, United States soccer legend Alex Morgan exited the pitch for the final time during the San Diego Wave FC's 4-1 loss to the North Carolina Courage from Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California.

The two-time World Cup winner and Olympic gold medalist announced Thursday that the Wave's National Women's Soccer League home game against the Courage on Sunday would be the last.

Morgan played 15 minutes during the match, with a penalty kick awarded in the tenth minute that was saved by North Carolina's goalkeeper Casey Murphy.

After San Diego was able to score the equalizer three minutes later, Morgan began to exit the field just past the 13th minute, a tribute to the number 13 she wore throughout most of her career.

During her emotional substitution, Morgan removed her cleats at midfield and tearfully waved and blew kisses to the crowd as fans chanted her name. Players from both teams then surrounded her and applauded. Forward Amirah Ali replaced her at the 15-minute mark of the first half.

At halftime, NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman spoke on Morgan's impact on the league and the women's game, where she expressed appreciation for her on- and off-field contributions.

"It's a choice to do what she does off the field, and I think that's the thing that's made her beyond reproach and actually the true GOAT," Berman said. "But of course, on the field, she's broken all records, all barriers, and she really walks the walk and is able to really show up off the field because she does the work on the field. I think that's the thing that she has done really at every step of her career. She's been an inspiration."

Morgan's sendoff match drew close to a sellout crowd at the 32,000-seat Snapdragon Stadium, with a large chunk of the tickets being sold in bulk as soon as news of Morgan's farewell was announced.

Internationally, Morgan played in four World Cups, including her breakout in 2011, when the United States Women's National Team lost the final to Japan in a penalty shootout.

Domestically, she won the inaugural NWSL title with the Portland Thorns in 2013. She also won a professional title in her rookie season as a member of the Western New York Flash in 2011, which played in the Women's Professional Soccer, the predecessor to the NWSL.

Morgan also won the NWSL Golden Boot in 2022, scoring 15 goals in 17 games while helping the Wave become the first NWSL expansion team to qualify for the playoffs in its inaugural season.

With Morgan hanging up the cleats, her impact on the growth of women's soccer over the past 14 years will continue to be felt throughout the United States for years to come.