U.S. women’s soccer icon Alex Morgan was left off the team that will head to Paris next month for the 2024 Summer Olympics.
The U.S. Women’s National Team announced its roster Wednesday morning, representing a changing of the guard. Morgan, 34, had been a mainstay on the USWNT roster for more than a decade and helped lead the team to a string of unprecedented success, including a pair of World Cup championships. Morgan had been a central piece of the U.S. attack from her position of forward, helping churn the ball forward and capitalizing on open spaces in the defense.
Here’s everything you need to know about Alex Morgan being left off the U.S. Women’s National Team for the 2024 Olympics.
How many Olympics has Alex Morgan been to?
Morgan has participated in three Olympics: the 2012 games in London, 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro and the 2020 games in Tokyo.
Alex Morgan’s USWNT stats
Alex Morgan has made 224 appearances for the U.S. Women’s National Team, scoring 123 goals and recording 53 assists. She earned her first cap March 31, 2010 in an international friendly against Mexico, a 1-0 U.S. victory. She has been a part of four World Cup rosters.
Morgan scored her first USWNT goal Oct. 6, 2010 in an international friendly against China, an eventual 1-1 draw. Morgan also served as the co-captain of the USWNT from 2018 through 2020.
She became the 13th player in USWNT history to reach 200 caps in a November 2022 match against Germany. She is the active leading USWNT goal scorer and fifth on the all-time list.
Alex Morgan’s USWNT career awards
As an Olympian, Morgan won one gold medal at the 2012 London games and one bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo games. During the USWNT’s gold medal run in 2012, Morgan scored one of the biggest goals of her career in a semifinal match against Canada, in the 123rd minute. She has also helped lead the USWNT to two World Cup titles.
In 2012 and 2018, Morgan was named the U.S. Soccer’s Female Athlete of the Year. She is a four-time Concacaf Player of the Year (2013, 2016, 2017, 2018) and a five-time FIFA FIFPRO Women’s World 11 selection (2016 ,2017, 2019, 2021, 2022). She was also named a finalist for the FIFA World Player of the Year three different times (2012, 2019, 2022).
At the 2019 World Cup in France, Morgan won the Silver Boot, tying the tournament high with six goals and tying for second with three assists. She also tied the USWNT’s single-game scoring record (five goals) in the opening match against Thailand.
During the 2011 World Cup in Germany, Morgan became the first player to ever score a goal and record an assist in a World Cup final — despite being the youngest player on the USWNT roster.
Morgan has also scored the most goals in USWNT history as a mother, surpassing Joy Fawcett with a goal against Brazil in the 2023 SheBelieves Cup.
Why isn’t Alex Morgan on the Olympic roster?
While Morgan’s exclusion might be a shock, given she’s been part of the USWNT roster at every major tournament dating to the 2011 World Cup, she’s had a slow start to the NWSL season. She missed a month with an ankle injury and has yet to score, and her goal against Argentina on Feb. 23 was her first in a year for the USWNT.
Emma Hayes, who took over as the USWNT’s coach last month, has also talked about the need for versatility with such a small roster, and others play multiple positions while Morgan does not. Olympic rosters have only 18 players, compared tp 23 for a World Cup and most other tournaments.
Still, Morgan, who turns 35 on Tuesday, has long been prized for her leadership, and this is a young team. Paris will be the first Olympics for half the team and four will be playing in their first major international tournament.
But the USWNT has been transitioning from the generation that won two World Cup titles and one Olympic gold medal between 2012 and 2019, a process that has accelerated under Hayes. With an average of 26.8 years, this is the youngest Olympic roster the USWNT has had since the 2008 gold-medal winning team.
What did Alex Morgan say about not being on the Olympic roster?
On Wednesday, minutes after the USWNT announced its roster, Morgan posted a statement on social media, commenting on her being left off the roster.
“Today, I’m disappointed about not having the opportunity to represent our country on the Olympic stage,” Morgan wrote Wednesday. “This will always be a tournament that is close to my heart and I take immense pride any time I put on the crest.
“In less than a month, I look forward to supporting this team and cheering them on alongside the rest of our country. LFG.”
Contributing: Nancy Armour
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alex Morgan’s legendary USWNT career: What to know
