The 35-year-old will walk away from professional soccer a two-time World Cup winner, and an Olympic gold medalist, alongside many other titles and individual honors. Morgan finishes her career with 224 appearances for the U.S. national team , scoring a whopping 123 goals.
The forward's decision also follows being left off the United States Olympic roster by new head coach Emma Hayes, which the team went on to win with a 1-0 victory over Brazil in Paris. "I'm going to get to the point quickly. I'm retiring and I have so much clarity about this decision and I'm so happy to be able to finally tell you," Morgan said in a video on X on Thursday.
"It has been a long time coming and this decision wasn't easy but at the beginning of 2024 I felt in my heart and soul that this was the last season that I would play soccer."
"Soccer has been a part of me for 30 years and it was one of the first things that I ever loved and I gave everything to this sport and what I got in return was more than I could have ever dreamed of," the soccer icon continued. "Success for me is defined by never giving up and giving your all and I did just that.
"I'm giving my all every single day on the field and I did that. Giving my all in the relentless push for global investment in women's sports because we deserve that. Giving my all in my various businesses beyond the soccer fields and giving my all as a mom to my daughter Charlie.
"Charlie came up to me the other day and said that when she grows up she wants to be a soccer player and it just made me like immensely proud not because I wish for her to become a soccer soccer player when she grows up but because a pathway exists that even a four-year-old can see now."
Morgan also announced that she's expecting a second child alongside her husband, Servando Carrasco. "This is also not the retirement video I expected when I initially thought I was going to do this because Charlie is going to be a big sister," Morgan revealed. "I am pregnant and as unexpected as this came we are so overjoyed.
"To me family means everything. I wouldn't be here without my husband and my family uplifting and motivating and encouraging and supporting me and sacrificing for me for the last 15 years as a professional athlete."
Morgan will play her final soccer game for the San Diego Wave on Sept. 8 against the North Carolina Courage. It's unclear how involved Morgan will be in proceedings due to her pregnancy. "I'm also so grateful that I'll get one last game to put on the boots and this Sunday September 8th will be that game. I just want to thank the fans for always supporting us for always just using what we're saying and making it magnified," she said.
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