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Alex Morgan Bids Emotional Goodbye to Soccer As She Leaves Pitch for Final Time

Morgan walked off the pitch and into retirement.

Ryan Phillips

Morgan is fifth on the all-time U.S. women's national team scoring list.
Morgan is fifth on the all-time U.S. women's national team scoring list. / Abe Arredondo-Imagn Images
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Alex Morgan's storied soccer career has come to an end.

On Sunday, the U.S. women's national team legend walked off the pitch for the final time during the San Diego Wave's home matchup with the North Carolina Courage.

In the 13th minute, Morgan was subbed off and the game was paused as her Wave teammates and the Courage's players stopped to applaud and embrace her. Morgan was in tears as she took off her cleats, waved to the crowd and walked off the field. It was an incredibly emotional scene.

Morgan announced her retirement last week while also revealing she was pregnant with her second child. The 35-year-old leaves the sport as one of the most prolific goal scorers in the history of U.S. Soccer.

In 224 international appearances for the U.S. women's national team, Morgan scored 123 goals. She is ninth all-time in USWNT caps and fifth all-time in goals scored.

The striker was a key member of the 2015 and 2019 World Cup-winning U.S. squads and won an Olympic gold medal in 2012.

Morgan has become a crossover star who, along with many of her generations stars, has helped elevate women's soccer over the past decade.

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Ryan Phillips

RYAN PHILLIPS

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.

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