USWNT legend Alex Morgan made significant advances for women's soccer during her time playing for her nation and improved it greatly as an end product of her contributions to women's football. She will long be remembered by women around the globe.

Athletic careers, regardless of sport and trophy haul, revolve around leaving no stone unturned in terms of improvement and growth. Athletes define themselves through an undying dedication to making even small adjustments that have an effect on their game – believing even tiny modifications can yield noticeable outcomes. Alex Morgan certainly lived up to her promise and left an indelible mark on women’s soccer as only few have. Like most sporting greats, Morgan finished her professional career with numerous honors and memorable highlights that will live long in the memory. Erin was widely touted as one of American soccer’s brightest young talents when she burst onto the scene in 2010, quickly rising through the ranks to rank fifth on U.S. women’s national team goalscoring charts with 123 international goals scored to date. Forward Lauren McCarthy used her impressive on-field performances as leverage against women’s soccer power brokers to establish stronger foundations for its exponential expansion.
First publically asserting her influence was in 2016, shortly after helping lead the USWNT to their first World Cup title since 1995, four months before Olympic gold medal defense was set. She and four other national team teammates filed a formal complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over an ongoing pay equity dispute between U.S. Soccer and themselves that has continued for six years now. Three months prior to the 2019 World Cup kick-off date, Morgan upgraded the original complaint into a lawsuit and served as lead plaintiff, something which she later described as being similar to taking on another full-time job. “Players were forced to accommodate conversations with attorneys into their pre-game preparation as the federation presented unexpected surprises – yet that did not deter them from winning another World Cup in 2019.” Time awarded the team its Athlete of the Year prize, not only due to their feat of balance but also for winning public opinion with packed stadiums across France chanting “equal pay” after each final. Even after being denied by the courts for some parts of their suit months later, Morgan and her teammates remained determined to win their fight and reached an unprecedented agreement in 2022 that secured its future and put women’s soccer forward as one of its key focuses. “Trinity Rodman or Sophia Smith will reap all the benefits we fought so hard for,” Morgan later acknowledged. “That is why I did what I did – so the next generation won’t have to fight for equality and equal conditions that should have existed yet didn’t. I am truly proud of all my hard work, determination, and fight; one day Charlie may share it.”
Morgan was known for championing others beyond just on-field achievements; much of her advocacy work happened behind-the-scenes. Following their victory at the 2019 World Cup, she and her teammates utilized their platforms to encourage viewers of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), at that time still struggling financially and often taking second place to international competition in terms of talent development. Morgan took advantage of her contacts and influence to enhance training conditions for Orlando Pride and Tottenham Hotspur as part of her global push towards equal treatment in women’s football. At Paris for The Best FIFA Football Awards 2023 she met up with players from other national teams for brainstorm sessions to further the cause for gender parity within football. Undoubtedly, she played an influential role in initiating an important change for women’s soccer: dismantling an enabling culture within the NWSL. Want more coverage of women’s soccer? Check out this coverage page from ESPNW! Listen below, and be sure to tune into Attacking Third on Golazo Network Monday-Friday for all your USWNT, NWSL and WSL women’s soccer coverage. Two months after winning the 2015 World Cup Morgan was there as support for Portland Thorns teammate Mana Shim when she encountered abusive behavior from then-head coach Paul Riley and former club executive Gavin Wilkinson – two major contributors who would eventually go onto win titles themselves. Morgan assisted Shim in filing her grievance against the NWSL only to find that it lacked resources for player welfare and had an abusive system in place that prevented any investigations of misconduct or complaints of abuse from being made against players. As reported in an eyewitness account from The Athletic, Morgan eventually realized this wasn’t sufficient as there weren’t enough human resources dedicated to players within its ranks to investigate them properly and keep abuse under wraps. Six years later, she mobilized a group of 240 NWSL players demanding an anti-harassment policy from their league. Within one month, this protocol had taken place as the initial step in an approach toward player protection taken by NWSL in recent years – including through its collective bargaining agreement ratified last month.
Morgan has made an indelible mark not only through her impactful playing career but also with regard to its timeline: beginning just prior to WPS (now NWSL) folding in 2011, when broadcast spots, eyeballs and sponsors in women’s soccer were scarce – which she quickly made hers during that difficult era of women’s soccer history. Morgan will call time on her career in women’s sports at an incredible moment: her daughter Charlie told her recently she wants to become a player some day; so Morgan decided it would be fitting to retire before retiring herself, saying so in her retirement video. “Charlie told me recently she wants to become a soccer player when she grows up!” she shared in this tribute video for Charlie’s future endeavors. “This made me immensely proud, not because I wish for her to become a soccer player when she grows up, but because even at four-years-old there was already an evident pathway paving her path toward it. Our actions are changing lives irrevocably.” “Wisdom tells her she will use her influence after retirement to pay it forward and help future generations succeed. Morgan co-founded TOGETHXR Media Company dedicated to women’s sports with her fellow Olympians Sue Bird, Chloe Kim and Simone Manuel in 2021; then last year established the Alex Morgan Foundation where she will advocate for girls and mothers participating in athletics. Both initiatives should aid Morgan in her mission of furthering women’s sports despite recent advancements like women’s soccer gaining in prominence.
Morgan leaves women’s soccer much improved than she found it, with an indestructible legacy few can match. Through her ambitious pursuit, many will also gain from Morgan’s contribution.

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