Alex Morgan Reveals Traversing “Ups and Downs” After Emma Hayes’ Decision Shattered Perfect Retirement Dream

Things do not always pan out the way we want them to in life. Consider Alex Morgan, who must have envisioned ending the year on a high note. However, reality had other plans, as she faced the disappointment of being snubbed from the Olympics and domestic struggles, ultimately leading the USWNT icon to retire. But despite these setbacks, what truly makes Morgan proud is she stood ‘committed to at the beginning of the year.’

We wouldn’t blame Alex; someone trying to overcome the significant backlash from the 2023 World Cup failure would naturally want to redeem themselves in whatever the next opportunity would come up. The only problem was that the icon couldn’t get any of those exactly how she would have wanted to.

“I kind of thought through it a lot and I decided going into this season it would be my last and I was going to go for it, you know? Try to win a championship and then to myself, try to go for the Olympics and help my team win a gold medal. Both of those things didn’t work out as I had planned, nor did my pregnancy,” said Morgan during her chat on ESPN FC’s Futbol W.

Fate had other plans for Morgan. Snubbed by Emma Hayes for the Summer Games and facing a disappointing start to the domestic campaign with San Diego Wave, the 35-year-old’s mindset shifted as pregnancy arrived, making her focus on the brighter side.

“The biggest thing that I was really proud of is that I stuck to what I committed to at the beginning of the year, which was all you can do is try and work hard to fulfill that last year and everything that I’ve done,” she added. Of course, Morgan would have wanted, or at least to say, deserved to get a farewell.

But ignoring all the negative outcomes was truly a choice she had. “Leading up to this year, I mean, there’s nothing more I could ask for really with my playing career. So this was kind of just a bonus year. So I just wanted to try and enjoy it. That’s what I did, regardless of all the ups and downs and things and pieces of adversity that were thrown my way,” concluded Morgan.

While it is good to hear that Morgan has made her peace with whatever uncertainties made her way, what’s next for her? Alex has a plan.

Alex Morgan has finally ‘found her calling’ in the beautiful game!

Given her illustrious career, one path Alex Morgan could take to give back to soccer is to become an influential coach. However, the former striker has a different vision for her future. “I don’t think coaching is in my future. I think that I’ve found my calling in just investing in women’s sports, doing as much as I can to give as big of a platform to women’s sports as possible,” the 35-year-old said in an interview earlier.

Not to mention her second pregnancy, which sees Morgan growing her family; the former American forward had earlier revealed that she is also expanding her foundation and actively working on her media company, TOGETHXR. Additionally, she and her husband, Servando Carrasco, are delving deeper into venture capital investments, with even more exciting projects on the horizon that she plans to unveil soon.

Either way, Morgan aims to continue her 30-year legacy by fully immersing herself in the sport. Her influence on women’s soccer transcends her playing career. While it was sad her perfect retirement dream was shattered, let’s hope that her post-soccer life unfolds as she envisions.