After announcing her retirement at the end of the 2024 season, Alex Morgan will wrap her career as one of the most iconic and visible U.S. women's soccer players of all time, and there's a good reason why.
At 35 years old at the time of the announcement in early September, Morgan had been a fixture of the U.S. women's national team for 14 years, scoring iconic goals and setting a multitude of records.
Morgan has cemented herself among the all-time greats in the history of the world's most successful national team, earning her place as a leader for the continued growth of the game in the USA. She also has served as a leader off the field, championing the equal-pay fight alongside her teammates.
The Sporting News details Morgan's career accomplishments at an individual and team level, having won significant accomplishments with the U.S. national team and her clubs, as well as scoring iconic goals for her country.
MORE: The full 2023 Women's World Cup match schedule with kick times & updated results
Alex Morgan USA national team, FIFA records
Alex Morgan's most notable all-time individual record came in the 2019 Women's World Cup, when she scored five goals in a single game, leading the U.S. in a 13-0 rout of Thailand in their group stage opener. It is the most goals ever scored in a single Women's World Cup match by one player, tied with another U.S. international, Michelle Akers, who did it against Chinese Taipei in 1991, the first Women's World Cup.
Those five goals also tied Morgan for the most goals ever scored in a single match by any U.S. player in any match, level with eight others: Brandi Chastain, Tiffeny Milbrett, Abby Wambach, Amy Rodriguez, Sydney Leroux, Crystal Dunn, Carli Lloyd and, of course, Akers.
With the U.S. national team, Morgan sits fifth in the all-time goal-scoring chart, ending her career just seven short of Kristine Lilly for fourth, and four more shy of former USWNT teammate Carli Lloyd for third.
She also finishes ninth in most career international caps by a U.S. player, with 224 at the time of her announcement, seven back of eighth-placed Heather O'Reilly and 130 behind all-time leader Kristine Lilly, who has 354. Morgan is also ninth on the all-time assists chart with 53, just two behind O'Reilly and Julie Foudy in joint-seventh, and 94 behind the leader Mia Hamm who racked up an insane 147, 41 more than anyone else.
In 2011, Morgan became the first player to score and assist a goal in a Women's World Cup final, scoring against Japan in the 69th minute and assisting Abby Wambach's extra-time goal in the 104th minute.
MORE: A full breakdown of the USWNT roster for the 2023 Women's World Cup
USWNT all-time top goal scorers
Rank | Name | Caps | Goals | Years Active |
1 | Abby Wambach | 255 | 184 | 2001-2015 |
2 | Mia Hamm | 276 | 158 | 1987-2004 |
3 | Carli Lloyd | 316 | 134 | 2005-2021 |
4 | Kristine Lilly | 354 | 130 | 1987-2010 |
5 | Alex Morgan | 207 | 123 | 2010-Present |
Alex Morgan awards, trophies won
Trophies won
USWNT
- FIFA Women's World Cup (2x): 2015, 2019
- FIFA U20 Women's World Cup: 2008
- Olympic gold medal: 2012
- Olympic bronze medal: 2020
- CONCACAF W Championship (3x): 2014, 2018, 2022
- SheBelieves Cup (5x): 2016, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023
- Algarve Cup (3x): 2011, 2013, 2015
Western New York Flash
- WPS Championship: 2011
Portland Thorns
- NWSL Championship: 2013
Olympique Lyonnais
- Division 1 Feminine: 2016/17
- Coupe de France Feminine: 2016/17
- UEFA Champions League: 2016/17
Awards & nominations
- U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year (2x): 2012, 2018
- FIFA FIFPRO Women's World 11 (5x): 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022
- FIFA The Best Women's Player of the Year* (finalist — 3x): 2012, 2019, 2022
- CONCACAF Women's Player of the Year (4x): 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018
- FIFA Women's World Cup Silver Boot: 2019
- NWSL Golden Boot: 2022
- NWSL Best XI: 2022
- USWNT All-Time Best XI: 2013
- ESPY Award Best Female Athlete: 2019
- IFFHS Women's World Team of the Year (4x): 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022
- IFFHS Women's World Team of the Decade: 2011-20
* Previously known as Women's FIFA Player of the Year
Alex Morgan notable goals for USA
MORE: Mallory Swanson opens up to The Sporting News about injury that left her out of World Cup
Date | Competition | Match | Minute | Comments |
Dec. 7, 2008 | 2008 U20 Women's World Cup Final | North Korea 1-2 USA | 42' | Winner in U-20 WC final |
Oct. 6, 2010 | International Friendly | USA 1-1 China | 83' | First senior USWNT goal |
Nov. 20, 2010 | Women's World Cup Playoff First Leg | Italy 0-1 USA | 90+4' | USA would win 2-0 on aggregate to secure 2011 Women's World Cup place |
Jul. 13, 2011 | 2011 Women's World Cup Semifinal | USA 3-1 France | 82' | USA advance to Women's World Cup final |
Jul. 17, 2011 | 2011 Women's World Cup Final | USA 2-2 Japan | 69' | Also assisted Abby Wambach 104' goal (USA would lose final on penalty shootout). |
Mar. 7, 2012 | 2012 Algarve Cup Third-place match | USA 4-0 Sweden | 4', 33', 73' | First career USWNT hat-trick |
Jul. 25, 2012 | 2012 Summer Olympics Group stage | USA 4-2 France | 32', 66' | Scored equalizer & final goal |
Aug. 6, 2012 | 2012 Summer Olympics Semifinal | USA 4-3 Canada | 123' | Latest goal ever by USWNT player |
Mar. 13, 2013 | 2013 Algarve Cup Final | Germany 0-2 USA | 13', 34' | Both goals in Algarve Cup final |
Jun. 22, 2015 | 2015 Women's World Cup Round of 16 | USA 2-0 Colombia | 53' | Game-winning goal |
Mar. 6, 2016 | 2016 SheBelieves Cup | USA 1-0 France | 90+1' | Inaugural SheBelieves Cup, game-winning goal to help USA win title |
Aug. 12, 2016 | 2016 Summer Olympics Quarterfinals | USA 1-1 Sweden | 77' | Equalizer to send match to extra-time, USA would fall on penalty shootout |
Oct. 17, 2018 | CONCACAF W Championship Final | USA 2-0 Canada | 89' | USA's 2nd goal, sealed title |
Apr. 4, 2019 | International Friendly | USA 5-3 Australia | 14' | Morgan's 100th international goal |
Jun. 11, 2019 | 2019 Women's World Cup Group stage | USA 13-0 Thailand | 12', 53', 74', 81', 87' | Five goals in Women's World Cup match, ties all-time record (also 3 assists) |
Jul. 2, 2019 | 2019 Women's World Cup Semifinals | USA 2-1 England | 31' | Game-winning goal, first player to score at Women's World Cup on birthday |
Jul. 18, 2022 | CONCACAF W Championship Final | USA 1-0 Canada | 78' | Game-winning goal to win tournament |
Feb. 22, 2023 | SheBelieves Cup | USA 2-1 Brazil | 45+3' | Game-winning goal |
Feb. 23, 2024 | 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup | USA 4-0 Argentina | 19' | Final goal of her USWNT career* |
* This could potentially change if Morgan appears in a USWNT send-off match and scores.