Soccer is Alex Morgan’s ‘first love.’ After weaving her magic with the ball and her boots for 14 years, quitting it professionally can be hard to fathom. While only a handful of athletes get to experience her level of legacy, Morgan threw light on how it feels for an icon to bid goodbye to her favorite sport.

Opening up on Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird’s podcast A Touch More, Morgan confessed her final spell as ‘really quick.’

“The week before when we had played in the game with San Diego, I knew that, that was really my last full game no one else knew,” claimed Morgan stating that she and her husband knew it a few more days than the fans. Talking about this period before her official announcement, she further said, “I feel like that was hard to kind of grapple with as I was getting subbed out in the 70th minute or something.”

Moreover, despite her parents and husband knowing the situation, she revealed it as “going through that sort of experience alone.” Later, the feeling was different after she opened the news to the supporters. She said, “After announcing I definitely felt like yeah, this is my last training. This is my last time walking into the stadium.”

However, not liking the drills, Morgan reminisced, saying, “I don’t enjoy the activation in the locker room beforehand all of these little things. I just want to play like get me out in the field. So I think just taking a step back and enjoying all those little moments was really nice.”

While her teammates and supporters got an impromptu alarm about her exit, Morgan’s rescheduled retirement was a surprise for herself too. Having initially planned it at the end of the 2024 season, her pregnancy led it to occur in the middle of the season, giving her less time to process her adieu.

Alex Morgan sums up her farewell

The 35-year-old-old was already comprehending her last few days with the sport, but San Diego Wave hardly got a chance to celebrate her career in her final game. Yet, their arrangements to send Alex Morgan were heart-warming and tedious. The 2012 Olympic gold medalist had a lot to expect for her farewell, including the 26,000 people in the crowd.

She also expressed that she had to address her daughter, Charlie, who was more excited to walk with her onto the field. But more importantly, the number of minutes she would play and scheduling her speech to cater to the supporters’ emotions also added to the drama, said Morgan.

In the meantime, the San Diego club plans to host another celebration in honor of Alex Morgan’s retirement, to delight the fans once more. The gala is scheduled for November 3rd in the club’s final home match. Although Morgan is not expected to take the field, fans can anticipate a deeper connection and insight into her career during the event.

Yet, the incredible goals and her match-winning contributions will only be etched as nostalgia.