Alex Morgan retires from professional football, expecting her second child

Over the course of a career that included two women's World Cup titles and an Olympic gold medal, Alex Morgan elevated the women's game through her play on the field and activism off it.

The 35-year-old Morgan, who said she is pregnant with her second child, announced on Thursday that she is retiring from soccer after a 15-year career. She was near tears in a video posted to social media.

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, she said. Soccer has been a part of me for 30 years, and it was one of the first things that I ever loved. I gave everything to this sport and what I got in return was more than I could have ever dreamed of.

Morgan will play her final match with her club team, the San Diego Wave of the National Women's Soccer League, on Sunday at Snapdragon Stadium.

In addition to World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019, Morgan also won a gold medal with the United States at the 201