As one of the best American women’s soccer players, Alex Morgan’s name is one that comes up loud and clear, especially during international tournaments. The 34-year-old has made 224 international appearances in her glittering career, more than any other active American player.
However, the star striker fell out of favour ahead of the 2024 Olympics.
Morgan has scored 123 goals for the U.S. national team, more than all but four U.S. women’s national team players. Not surprisingly, the four riders preceding her represent some of the greatest talent the country has produced: Abby Wambach (184), Mia Hamm (158), Carli Lloyd (136) and Kristine Lilly (130).
When Morgan plays, she scores. When she scores, the U.S. women’s national team tends to win. But while she was once considered a shoo-in to represent her country at major tournaments, Morgan has become little more than a reserve in 2024.
And in the end, new coach Emma Hayes opted to leave Morgan off the 18-player Olympic roster, potentially meaning the end of her time with the U.S. women’s team.
What happened to Morgan? And how did she fall down the pecking order so precipitously? Last year, she started all four of the U.S. women’s World Cup matches. Now she’s in limbo.
Here’s what you need to know about Morgan and her place on Hayes’ USWNT team going forward.
Will Alex Morgan play in the Olympics?
To answer this simply: no, Alex Morgan will not be playing in the Olympics. The decision may come as a surprise to outsiders, especially given Morgan’s importance in keeping the U.S. women’s team at the top of international soccer.
However, a quick look at his numbers reveals a star talent in decline.
In 719 minutes of NWSL play this year (10 appearances), Morgan has scored no goals and provided one assist. The fall has been rapid for Morgan, who had seven goals and five assists in 1,500 minutes last year.
Morgan still has plenty to offer at club level. He is a well-rounded presence in the final third of the pitch and has developed a penchant for progressive passing, a valuable skill in Jaedyn Shaw’s side.
But not having scored all season to this point is hardly a reflection of a world-class forward line, especially now that international football continues to get stronger. Add to that Morgan’s lack of versatility (he rarely steps out of his No. 9 role) and a trove of young attacking talent, and it’s no surprise that Hayes has opted to leave Morgan out of the squad.
“I think the biggest factor is that 16 outfield players will play a lot of games, hopefully over a 17-day period. Having a squad that can adapt is essential,” Hayes said at a news conference after the squad was released. “We have a tight turnaround time between games, so of course having players in the squad that can play more than one position was important for the depth of the squad.
“But I also think there are players in the squad in the attacking areas who are performing well, and the decision to bring those players in was one we certainly deliberated on. But I think it’s a balanced squad. I’ve considered all the factors that we’re going to need during the Olympics and I’m very happy with that.”
Had the squad been expanded to 23 players, as is the case during the World Cup, Morgan could easily have landed on the plane. But the player limit, coupled with her dwindling physical abilities and lack of tactical flexibility, meant the end of Morgan’s chances in the Olympic squad. She is not bitter, however, and continues to support the team in its bid for a fourth Olympic triumph.
“Today I feel disappointed that I did not have the opportunity to represent our country on the Olympic stage,” Morgan said in Xthe website formally known as Twitter. “This will always be a tournament that is close to my heart and I feel very proud every time I put on the crest. In less than a month, I look forward to supporting this team.”
