Alex Morgan Explains Her Decision to Retire From Professional Soccer on Kylie Kelce’s Podcast

The USWNT and NWSL legend opens up about announcing her departure from the sport and second pregnancy last September.

Alex Morgan / Meg Oliphant/Getty Images

In a heartfelt conversation on Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce, former professional soccer legend Alex Morgan opened up about her emotional decision to retire from the sport, say goodbye to the NWSL’s San Diego Wave and the U.S. Women’s National Team and how her journey to motherhood influenced the timeline.

The 35-year-old, who announced her retirement last September after a decorated 13-year career, shared that the decision was solidified during an honest, wine-fueled conversation with her husband, Servando Carrasco. “I just had this epiphany,” the three-time SI Swimsuit model and cover girl explained. “I want to try to go to the Olympics, win a championship. I always try to win a championship. I want to do all the things. But it doesn’t really matter what happens throughout the season. I’m done no matter what [after 2024]. So I kind of just made that commitment to myself.”

Morgan, who revealed her pregnancy in the same video she told the world she was leaving soccer, said on the podcast that while she had already decided the 2024 season would be her last, an unexpected second pregnancy shifted her plans. Balancing her roles as a mother to Charlie and a professional athlete, the California native found herself reflecting on her legacy. “I gave everything to this sport, and what I got in return was more than what I could have ever dreamed of,” she said, adding that she’s especially proud of her pivotal role in securing equal pay for the USWNT.

In the conversation, Morgan and Kelce, the latter of whom shares three girls with one more on the way, with retired NFL player Jason Kelce, bonded over the challenges of pregnancy, the transition from being a mother of one to two children and the often stressful task of naming a baby. Morgan also opened up about the unique experience of playing soccer while up to three months pregnant—her second time doing so.

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“It was like this big dark secret, but I was also trying to take everything in, like one last time,” Morgan said, explaining that she kept her retirement plans quiet to avoid the drama of a farewell tour. She wanted to soak in her final season without added attention. Still, the weight of the final few moments brought her to tears multiple times, though she describes herself as someone who doesn’t cry a lot.

“I didn’t want it to be this whole big thing. I think I did pretty well to, like, prepare myself. But, regardless it was way more emotional than I expected,” Morgan candidly shared. “For a week I would break down in the car by myself, just like crying, and not like bad cry, I just kind of a [release].”

As the cofounder of TOGETHXR, the entrepreneur has been a vocal advocate for female athletes. She’s also continuing to build her business ventures, investing in Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier’s basketball league, Unrivaled, and growing her Alex Morgan Foundation, which focuses on creating equity for women in sports​.

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Despite the bittersweet nature of leaving the field, Morgan is content with her decision. “At the end of the day, I’m just so happy with the way everything was meant to go down,” she said.

New episodes of Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce, a Wave Original, can be found on YouTube and wherever you listen to podcasts every Thursday.