As one of the United States' greatest soccer players, Alex Morgan's name rings loud, especially during international tournaments. The 34-year old has 224 caps in her glimmering career, more than any other active U.S. player.
Yet the star striker fell out of favor ahead of the 2024 Olympics.
Morgan has netted 123 goals in the Stars and Stripes, more than all but four USWNT players. Unsurprising, the four horsewomen ahead of her represent some of the greatest talents the country has ever produced: Abby Wambach (184), Mia Hamm (158), Carli Lloyd (136) and Kristine Lilly (130).
When Morgan plays, she scores. When she scores, USWNT tends to win. But while she was once considered a lock to represent her country at major tournaments, Morgan became little more than a backup in 2024.
And in the end, newly-minted gaffer Emma Hayes opted to leave Morgan off the 18-player Olympic roster, potentially spelling an end to her time with the USWNT.
What happened to Morgan? And how did she fall down the pecking order so precipitously? Just last year, she started all four of the USWNT's World Cup clashes. Now she's in limbo.
Here's what you need to know about Morgan and her place in Hayes' USWNT side going forward.
MORE: USWNT player grades: Olympic performance against Zambia was only perfect for a minute
Is Alex Morgan playing in the Olympics?
To answer simply: No, Alex Morgan is not playing in the Olympics. The move may be a surprise to those on the outside looking in, especially when considering Morgan's importance in keeping the USWNT at the pinnacle of international soccer.
A quick glance at her numbers, though, reveals a star talent in decline.
In 719 minutes of NWSL game time this year (10 appearances), Morgan has zero goals and one assist. The drop-off has been quick for Morgan, who bagged seven goals and five assists in 1,500 minutes last year.
Morgan still has much to offer at club level. She's an all-around presence in the final third, developing a penchant for progressive passing — a valuable skill in the Jaedyn Shaw-led outfit.
MORE: Explaining Canada soccer's drone spying scandal
But going scoreless in the whole of the season to this point isn't reflective of an international-level striker, especially not as the field continues to get stronger in international footy. Couple that with Morgan's lack of versatility — she rarely steps out of her role as the No. 9 — and a treasure trove of young attacking talent, and it's little surprise why Hayes opted to leave Morgan off the roster.
"I think the biggest factor is the 16 outfield players to play a lot of games arguably, I hope over a 17-day period. Having a roster that could adapt is essential," Hayes said in a press conference following the roster release. "We have a tight turnaround between games, so of course having players on the roster that could play more than one position mattered with squad depth.
"But I also think there are players on the roster in the forward areas performing well, and the decision to take those players was one that we certainly deliberated over. But I think it's a balanced roster. I've considered all the factors that we're going to need throughout the Olympics and one that I'm really happy with."
If the roster were expanded to 23 — as is the case during the World Cup — Morgan very well could've landed on the plane. But the tight roster limit, coupled with her waning physical skills and lack of tactical flexibility, spelled an end to Morgan's chances on the Olympic roster. She isn't bitter, however, continuing to root the side on as it attempts to record a fourth Olympic gold triumph.
"Today, I'm disappointed about not having the opportunity to represent our country on the Olympic stage," Morgan said on X, the website formally known as Twitter.. "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."
