Throwbacks on careers that wrote history: Alex Morgan
Tue, Oct 01.24
To kick off with our series “Throwbacks on careers that wrote history”, who better than Alex Morgan to start with? When it comes to legend, her name is instinctive, especially in the women’s game. With her recent retirement, Morgan left the game better than she found it.
On September 5th, the entire football world trembled when Alex Morgan announced her retirement from her professional career.
Late debuts
Alex Morgan only started playing football at the age of 14. She made her debut in California, where she’s from, and quickly made up for the lost time. Early on, she stood out for her incredible speed.
At 17, she was selected to play for the U20 United States Women’s team and joined Berkeley where she played in the top college championship in the US.
She gained international recognition at the age of 22 when she participated in her first World Cup with the USA. They reached the final but ultimately lost.
Her career highlights: creating her legacy
During her club career, Morgan moved between the NSWL and European leagues. Indeed, after being #1 in the Women’s Professional Soccer Draft, she started in New York and moved to Seattle a year later. It’s only in Portland that she made a name for herself. After that, she tried Europe where one season in Lyon (France) was enough for her to win the Champions League. From there, she moved between Orlando, Tottenham (UK), and back to Orlando, finishing beautifully her career with the San Diego Wave.
But her crowning-moment definitely appears to be the 2019 World Cup. Not only did her performances help the team winning the tournament, but they also drew attention to women’s football, attracting record audiences worldwide. The tournament wasn’t just about victory—it was about proving that women’s football deserves the same attention and respect as men’s.
A game changer: on and off pitch
Her legacy goes beyond the pitch! From the start, Morgan was committed to making women’s football better for everyone, especially future generations. A key part of her mission was the fight for equal pay and fair treatment compared to the men’s team. As a result, the US was one of the first countries to secure equal pay between men and women teams.
Morgan’s presence on the media also brought attention towards women’s football as she became mainstream. One notable example is being one of the first women to appear on the cover of the FIFA video game.
Beyond football
Outside of football, she managed to use her fame to commit to several different social issues.
As a player she inspired many young girls, and through the Alex Morgan Foundation, she wants to empower young girls in both sports and life, encouraging them to pursue their dreams. Along the same lines, she created a book series about girls playing football, with a focus on specific values: leadership, friendship and fun.
Alex Morgan is also a voice for athlete-mothers. She successfully balanced her career and motherhood, setting an example for mothers while advocating for better support for athlete-parents.
The iconic number 13 used her platform to speak up on other social issues like LGBTQ+ rights and racial justice, along with many of her teammates and friends, such as Megan Rapinoe. By publicly supporting these initiatives, she proved that sports can and should be a safe and inclusive space for everyone.
Alex Morgan: a source of inspiration for a whole generation.
Stepping down from her football career, we can only expect her to pursue her passions and advocating for causes that will make sports a better environment.
With this first post on ‘Throwback on careers that made history’, we pay tribute to Alex Morgan who changed the game and took football forward.
Stay tuned to see who’s next!
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