Off the field, Morgan teamed with
Simon & Schuster to write a middle-grade book series about four soccer players entitled
The Kicks. The first book in the series,
Saving the Team, debuted at number seven on
The New York Times Best Seller list in May 2013. A live-action kids comedy series based on the books and also titled
The Kicks is broadcast via Amazon Prime.
In 2015, Morgan was ranked by
Time as the top-paid American women's soccer player largely due to her numerous endorsement deals. Morgan, along with Canada's
Christine Sinclair and Australia's
Steph Catley, became the first women's soccer players to appear on the cover of
FIFA video games in 2015. She appeared alongside
Lionel Messi on covers of
FIFA 16 sold in the United States.
Born to Pamela S. and Michael T. Morgan in
San Dimas, California,
[1][3][4][5] Morgan was raised with her two older sisters, Jeni and Jeri in the nearby suburb of
Diamond Bar, located approximately 30 miles east of
Los Angeles.
[6] She was a multi-sport athlete growing up and began playing soccer at an early age.
[7] However, she did not begin playing club soccer until age 14 when she joined Cypress Elite.
[8][9] With the club team, she won the Coast Soccer League (CSL) under-16 championship and placed third at the under-19 level.
[10]
Morgan attended
Diamond Bar High School, where she was a three-time all-league pick and was named All-American by the
National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).
[5] At the school, she was known for her speed and sprinting ability.
[11] Morgan played for Olympic Development Program (ODP) regional and state teams as well.
[10] She later credited the program as an integral part of her development as a soccer player: "... programs like ODP helped me especially because I did come into the club scene late and it was important for me to play as much as possible, play with the best players and learn from the best coaches. That, for me, was crucial to my development."
[12]
California Golden Bears, 2007–2010
Morgan attended
UC Berkeley, where she played for the
California Golden Bears from 2007 to 2010.
[14] She led the Golden Bears in scoring during her first season with the team.
[10] During a match against
Stanford in the second round of the 2007
NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship, Morgan scored an
equalizer that resulted in a 1–1 draw with less than two minutes left in regulation time.
[15]The team was ultimately defeated during
penalty kicks.
[16] Despite continued absences due to U.S. national team commitments throughout her collegiate career, Morgan led the Golden Bears in scoring and helped the team reach the NCAA Tournament four years in a row, advancing to the second round twice.
[10]
After being named a candidate for the
Hermann Trophy during her junior year, Morgan became the first California player to be one of the top three finalists for the award. She was one of four finalists for the
Honda Sports Award, given to the best overall candidate in each sport.
[10]
Morgan finished her collegiate career ranked third all-time in goals scored (45) and points (107) for the Golden Bears.
[17] She graduated from Berkeley one semester early, with a degree in Political Economy.
[18]
Western New York Flash, 2011
Seattle Sounders Women, 2012
After the WPS later suspended operations in early 2012 due to legal and financial difficulties,
[24] Morgan joined her national teammates
Hope Solo,
Sydney Leroux,
Megan Rapinoe and
Stephanie Cox on the
Seattle Sounders Women for the 2012 season.
[25][26][27] Of her signing, Morgan said, "I am excited to play in a city that is so passionate about soccer. The Sounders have been one of, if not the best fan support in MLS. I can only imagine how Seattle fans would respond to having a full professional women's team in the future."
[28]
Due to her national team commitments and preparation for the
2012 Summer Olympics,
[29] Morgan made three regular season appearances for the club. She scored two goals and served two assist in her 253 minutes on the pitch.
[30] With the national teammates' presence on the team,
[31][32] the Sounders sold out nine of their ten home matches at the 4,500 capacity
Starfire Stadium.
[33] Average attendance during the 2012 season for the Sounders Women was four times higher than the next closest team.
[33]
Portland Thorns FC, 2013–2015
Morgan returned to the Thorns for the
2014 season led by new head coach
Paul Riley.
[42] She scored six goals in her 15 appearances for the club.
[22]The Thorns finished third during the regular season with a
10–8–6 record and advanced to the
playoffs for the second consecutive season.
[22] The team was defeated by eventual champions
FC Kansas City 2-0.
[43]
Orlando Pride, 2016–
On October 26, 2015, it was announced that Thorns had traded Morgan, along with teammate
Kaylyn Kyle, to expansion team
Orlando Pride in exchange for the Pride's number one picks in the
2015 NWSL Expansion Draft and
2016 NWSL College Draft as well as an international roster spot for the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
[45]Morgan scored four goals in her 15 appearances for the Pride.
[22] The club finished in ninth place during the regular season with a
6–13–1 record led by head coach
Tom Sermanni.
[22]
Olympique Lyonnais, 2017–present
Club summary
*
Per NWSL "Goal Scoring Leaders" and "Assists Leaders" lists, which contradict "Portland Thorns Stats" table[49]
Morgan was named to the United States U-20 women's national team that competed in the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Chile, scoring a total of four goals in the tournament against
France,
Argentina and
North Korea. Morgan's fourth goal of the tournament was a match-winner that gave the U.S. a gold medal, which was subsequently voted the best goal of the tournament,
[55] and later
FIFA's second-best goal of the year.
[56]Morgan's performance on the field earned her the Bronze Shoe as the tournament's third-highest scorer and the Silver Ball as the tournament's second-best player behind teammate Sydney Leroux.
[57]
She has been capped by the senior national team, first appearing as a substitute in a match versus
Mexico in March 2010,
[58] and scored her first international goal after coming on as a substitute against
China, which salvaged a 1–1 draw in October 2010. Her most important goal to date came a month later in a crucial road game against
Italy. After entering the match in the 86th minute, she scored in the fourth minute of added time to give the United States a 1–0 victory over Italy in the first leg of a playoff to qualify for the final spot for the
Women's World Cup.
[59]
2011 FIFA Women's World Cup
Morgan was the youngest player on the
U.S. national team that placed second in the
2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. On July 13, 2011, she scored her first FIFA Women's World Cup goal in the 82nd minute of the
semi-final matchup against France, giving the USA a 3–1 lead and ultimately, the victory. She scored the first goal (69') in the
FIFA World Cup Final against Japan after coming on as a substitute at the half, as well as assisting on the
Abby Wambach header (104') for a goal in extra time. Her performance made her the first player to ever record a goal and an assist in a World Cup final.
[60] Morgan finished eighth in the balloting for the 2011
FIFA World Player of the Year.
[61]
2012 London Olympics
Morgan did not become a starter for the U.S. until the fifth game of the year in January, the final of the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament.
[62] She scored twice and provided two assists to Wambach that day, in a 4–0 win over the Canadian hosts and has become a regular starter ever since. Morgan scored 14 goals in a 12-game stretch from January to late May 2012, including three straight two-goal efforts. She earned her first career
hat-trick on March 7, 2012, during a 4–0 victory against Sweden in the third-place game of the Algarve Cup. In June 2012, she was nominated for an
ESPY Award as the
Best Breakthrough Athlete.
[63]
In the opening game of
2012 London Olympics group play, Morgan scored both the equalizer and the goal that sealed the win against France.
[64] In the next three Olympic matches, she assisted on the game-winning goal, including two to Wambach.
[65][66][67]
Morgan scored the winning goal in the Olympic semi-final match against
Canada in extra time, sending the United States to the gold medal match against
Japan. Her goal came in the 123rd minute, the latest goal ever scored by a member of the U.S. women's team and a FIFA record.
[68]The goal continued her propensity for late heroics in the closing stages of matches. Seventeen of her 28 total goals to date have come after the 60th minute. The game-winning goal was Morgan's team-high 20th in 2012, becoming only the sixth and youngest U.S. player to do so in a single year.
[69][70] In the final, a 2–1 win against Japan on August 9, Morgan assisted on a
Carli Lloyd header.
[71] She ended the tournament with 3 goals, and a team-high four assists (tied with Megan Rapinoe) and ten points (tied with Rapinoe and Wambach).
[72] To celebrate her achievements, she was honored at her former high school and the No. 13 jersey was retired.
[73]
In 2012, Morgan led the U.S. in goals (28), multi-goal games (9), assists (21) and points (77).
[74] Her calendar year goals, assists and points totals are the third-best, tied second-best (one tally shy of record), and second-best, respectively, in U.S. WNT history. Morgan joined an exclusive club as she and Hamm are the only U.S. WNT players to record at least 20 goals and 20 assists in the same calendar year and became only the third and youngest player to reach 20 assists in a calendar year. Morgan and Wambach combined for 55 goals in 2012 – matching a 21-year-old record set in 1991 by Michelle Akers (39 goals) and Carin Jennings (16 goals) as the most goals scored by any duo in U.S. WNT history. She had either scored or assisted on 41 percent of the USA's 120 goals this year. And, by herself, she comfortably out-scored and out-assisted her opponents, who combined for 21 goals and 12 assists in 32 games against the U.S.
[62]
For her excellence on the field,
U.S. Soccer announced Morgan as the 2012 Female Athlete of the Year.
[75]Morgan's exploits have also earned her a place on the FIFA Ballon d'Or shortlist, ultimately finished third in voting.
[76]
2013–2014
At the
2013 Algarve Cup, Morgan shared top-scoring honors. She finished the competition with four assists and three goals, including the equalizer against Sweden that advanced the U.S. to the final and the two goals against Germany that won the championship.
[77][78] Morgan previously won the tournament's golden boot in 2011.
[79] On June 2, 2013, Morgan scored two-second half goals as the U.S. defeated Canada 3–0 in front of a sold out crowd in Toronto. This was the first match between USA and Canada since the epic semi-final of the 2012 Olympic Games.
[80]Morgan was named to her third appearance on the 10-player short list for FIFA Women's World Player of the Year in 2013 and finished fourth in the voting.
[81][82] For the inaugural CONCACAF Awards, she was recognized as the CONCACAF 2013 Female Player of the Year.
[83] And as a part of US Soccer's celebration of its Centennial anniversary the Federation revealed the US Soccer's
All-Time Women's National Team Best XI, she was youngest player selected at 24 years old.
[84]
Morgan had a return of 5 goal in 7 matches for the USWNT in 2014 after returning from injury before she reinjured her ankle at the
2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship, which ruled her out for the rest of tournament.
[85]
2015 FIFA Women's World Cup
Morgan scored the only goal in a friendly win over
England in February upon her return to the international fold.
[86] Morgan was part of the USWNT that won its tenth Algarve Cup in
2015.
[87] She scored in the 3–0 defeat of
Switzerland.
[88]
2016 Rio Olympics
Alex Morgan outrunning a defender during a game against Japan in Cleveland on June 5, 2016
Morgan marked her 100th cap for the USWNT in a 5–0 friendly win against
Republic of Ireland on January 23, by registering a goal and an assist.
[95] At the
CONCACAF Olympic Qualifiers in February, Morgan scored the fastest recorded goal in tournament history and in the history of the USWNT, netting after just 12 seconds, before later adding a second, in a 5–0 defeat of
Costa Rica.
[96] She followed this up with her third career hat-trick in a win against
Trinidad and Tobago, as the USWNT secured their qualification for the
Rio Olympics.
[97][98] Morgan started in the final against
Canada, as the USWNT won 2–0 to be crowned tournament winners.
[99] She was voted in the Best XI for the tournament.
[100]
At the first
SheBelieves Cup in March, an invitational four-team tournament consisting of
England,
France,
Germany and the
United States, Morgan was awarded the Golden Boot and the MVP award.
[101] She scored in victories against France and Germany as the USWNT won the tournament with three wins from three.
[102][103]Morgan scored eight goals during her first nine appearances of 2016.
[101]
International summary
International goals
Books and television series
Morgan is a published novelist, and has featured in a number of advertisement campaigns and modeling assignments.
In 2012, Morgan signed with
Simon & Schuster to pen
The Kicks, a four-book series for middle schoolers.
[107] The series is focused on four young girls and features themes of friendship, leadership, and soccer. In a statement released by the publisher, Morgan said she wanted her books to "inspire young girls" and "celebrate" her love of soccer. The first novel,
Saving The Team was released on May 14, 2013 followed by the second novel,
Sabotage Season, on September 3, 2013.
[108] Saving the Team debuted at number seven on
The New York TimesBest Seller list for Children's Middle Grade.
[109] In 2015, a live-action kids comedy series based on the books, called
The Kicks, began airing on
Amazon Prime.
[110]
Endorsements
Morgan has signed several endorsement deals with businesses including
Nike,
[111] Panasonic,
[112]AT&T,
[112] Chobani,
[113] McDonald's.
[114] P&G,
[115][116] Mondelez International,
[117] and
Coca-Cola.
[118]Time named Morgan the highest paid American women's soccer player in June 2015 attributed mostly to her endorsement deals.
[119] In July 2011, she signed a one-year endorsement deal with
Bank of America.
[120] In January 2012, Morgan and national teammate
Heather Mitts became brand ambassadors for health product company,
GNC.
[121] The same year, she made appearances on behalf of
Ubisoft promoting the launch of their video game,
Just Dance 4.
[122] In 2013, she appeared in television commercials for
Bridgestone.
[123] She joined a two-year partnership as the spokesperson for
ChapStick in October 2013.
[124] In 2015, she starred in a
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company commercial that was broadcast nationwide in the United States.
[125][126] She appeared in commercials for
Chobani in 2016.
[127][128]
In 2016, Alex Morgan joined
UNICEF Kid Power as a UNICEF Kid Power Champion, in an effort to fight global malnutrition and as well as raise awareness among kids, via the world's first "wearable for good", created by UNICEF.
[129]
In popular culture
Magazines
Television and film appearances
In 2011, Morgan co-starred with national teammate
Hope Solo in a television commercial promoting ESPN's
SportsCenter.
[145] Morgan and teammate Carli Lloyd were guests on
Live with Kelly and Michael following the
2012 Summer Olympics in September 2012.
[146] In 2013, Morgan appeared in the ESPN documentary series,
Nine for IX. The
Nine for IX documentary,
The 99ers, in which she appeared focused on the success and legacy of the national team squad that won the
1999 FIFA Women's World Cup.
[147] In January 2015, she guest-starred on an episode of
Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn entitled
The Quad Test.
[148] In April 2015, Morgan joined Abby Wambach on
American Idol to announce that the show's season winner would record the official song for Fox's coverage of the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.
[149] In May of the same year, her likeness appeared on
The Simpsons along with
Christen Press and Abby Wambach.
[150] Morgan was a presenter at the
2015 ESPY Awards[151] and received an ESPY with her teammates for Best Team.
[152]
Video games
In July 2015, Morgan, and her Portland Thorns teammates
Christine Sinclair and
Steph Catley became the first female athletes to appear on the cover of
EA Sports' latest
FIFA video game,
FIFA 16. Morgan, Sinclair, and Catley were chosen to appear on its region-specific packaging in the U.S., Canada, and Australia, respectively, alongside
Lionel Messi, who appears in worldwide versions of the game.
FIFA 16 was also the first edition of the franchise to include women's teams in the game.
[153]
Ticker tape parade and White House honor