Alex Morgan, American soccer star and Olympic gold medalist, announces retirement

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Alex Morgan's run as a competitive soccer player has come to an end. 

The Olympic gold medalist and longtime star of the U.S. women's national team, has decided to step away from the game. "I'm retiring," Morgan said in a video shared to X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday. 

"I have so much clarity about this decision, and I am so happy to be able to finally tell you. It has been a long time 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."

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Jun 4, 2024; St. Paul, Minnesota, USA; US US Women’s National Team forward Alex Morgan (13) celebrates the teams win after the game against the Korea Republic at Allianz Field. (Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports)

Morgan will end her storied career with the USWNT with 123 goals, which places her in the fifth spot on the all-time list. 

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She finished her USWNT career with 123 goals, good for fifth all time, along with 53 career assists, which is ninth all-time in U.S. history. The USA’s record in matches in which Morgan played stands at 177 wins, 15 losses and 32 draws. 

She scored in 86 of her 224 international appearances (good for ninth all-time in U.S. history), while making 158 starts, and she captained the USA 23 times during that span. In the 86 matches in which Morgan scored the USWNT never lost, going 76 wins and 10 draws.

Morgan was a member of Team USA's FIFA Women's World Cup winning teams in 2015 and 2019.

Aug 5, 2023; Melbourne, VIC, AUS; United States forward Alex Morgan (13) takes questions from journalists during a FIFA media availability at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium ahead of the team's 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup Round of 16 match against Sweden. (Jenna Watson-USA TODAY Sports)

"I grew up on this team, it was so much more than soccer," Morgan said in a statement through the U.S. Soccer Federation.

"It was the friendships and the unwavering respect and support among each other, the relentless push for global investment in women's sports, and the pivotal moments of success both on and off the field. I am so incredibly honored to have borrowed the crest for more than 15 years. 

"I learned so much about myself in that time and so much of that is a credit to my teammates and our fans. I feel immense pride in where this team is headed, and I will forever be a fan of the USWNT. My desire for success may have always driven me, but what I got in return was more than I could have ever asked and hoped for."

Sep 21, 2021; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; United States forward Alex Morgan (13) reacts after an international friendly soccer match against Paraguay at TQL Stadium.

Morgan also revealed that her family will be growing in the coming months.

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"I am pregnant. As unexpected as this came, we are so overjoyed. To me family means everything, I wouldn't be here without my family and my husband uplifting, motivating, encouraging and supporting me and sacrificing for me for the last 15 years for me as a professional athlete."

Morgan is scheduled to play in her final game on Sept. 8.

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