Alex Morgan

Fighting back tears, Alex Morgan waved to the crowd and walked off the field for the last time on Sunday as she capped a remarkable career.

The two-time Women’s World Cup winner announced on Thursday she is pregnant with her second child and retiring from the game at the age of 35.

She started and wore the captain’s armband for the San Diego Wave in her final match, playing for the first 13 minutes, a reference to her jersey number for club and country, against the North Carolina Courage before subbing out of the game to an ovation at San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium.

“I did everything I ever wanted to do and more. With this decision, I feel so at peace because I am ready to start my family and I am ready to hang up the boots and allow the next generation to flourish and just relish in the spotlight,” she said afterward. “It’s a good feeling.”

It was her 63rd appearance for the Wave, commemorated by a No 63 jersey given to Morgan in a pregame ceremony. Overall, it was her 150th career appearance in National Women’s Soccer League play.

Before the match, the video scoreboard showed snippets of Morgan’s retirement video, along with highlights from her career. Her four-year-old daughter, Charlie, accompanied her on the field. She had more than 95 family members and friends at the game.

The Wave’s starters posed for a photo imitating Morgan’s famous ‘tea sipping’ celebration, an homage to her celebration of her go-ahead goal to beat England in the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup in France.

Morgan’s US national team career was full of accomplishments, including World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019, and an Olympic Gold medal in 2012. In club play, Morgan played for the NWSL champion Portland Thorns in the league’s first year and helped the Wave win the Shield, for the league’s best regular season record, in 2023. Morgan played in 224 matches for the US, with 123 goals (fifth on the career list) and 53 assists (ninth). She was named the US Soccer Player of the Year in 2012 and 2018.

When she subbed off, she fought back tears as she removed her cleats at midfield. During the substitution, a tifo in the supporter’s section read “For Country, Club, Community.”

Despite the nearly 100F heat, a crowd of 26,516 fans filled Snapdragon for Morgan’s farewell match. Among them was San Diego Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove, who went to the game straight from his start against the San Francisco Giants.

“Twelve thousand tickets were sold in one day when she announced that this was going to be her last game” NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said. “That’s the power of Alex Morgan.”

The North Carolina Courage ultimately won the game, 4-1. Morgan’s penalty was stopped by Courage goalkeeper Casey Murphy.

But the night was all about celebrating a career.