Alex Morgan won’t represent the United States in women’s soccer next month at the Olympics, with the veteran forward the most notable omission Wednesday when national team coach Emma Hayes announced her roster for the Paris Games.
Morgan, a three-time Olympian and a two-time Women’s World Cup winner, wasn’t included on the 18-player list — a roster that is the youngest for the U.S. since 2008 and represents another shift in the team as it looks toward the 2027 Women’s World Cup under Hayes, who has been on the job for less than a year.
“First off, I want to talk about what an amazing player and human that Alex Morgan has been. I’ve only had one opportunity to work with her, in the last camp, and I saw first-hand not just her qualities but her professionalism, and her record speaks for itself,” Hayes said.
“Second of all, it’s not easy making a decision that there’s only 16 outfield players and two goalkeepers on a roster of 18. So, it was a tough decision, of course, especially considering Alex’s history and record with this team. But I felt that I wanted to go in another direction.”
The 34-year-old Morgan missed more than a month with the National Women Soccer League’s San Diego Wave, her professional club, after she injured her left ankle on April 19, but she had since returned. She also was part of the U.S. squad Hayes assembled for a pair of exhibition matches against South Korea earlier this month.