On Sunday, almost a year after she played her last game at Snapdragon Stadium on Sept. 9, 2024, Alex Morgan had her jersey retired by the San Diego Wave Fútbol Club after the Wave lost against Houston Dash, 0-3 at Snapdragon Stadium.
“It was about a year ago that I stood up in front of you, took off my cleats, and cried as I gave a speech,” Morgan said as she opened her speech at the ceremony.
On June 24, the Wave announced they would retire Morgan’s jersey, making her the first player in the club’s history to receive the honor.
She had been with the Wave since December 2021, when the team had its first inaugural season in 2022. Morgan helped the team make history by reaching the NWSL playoffs in its inaugural year in the league and winning the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Shield the following season.
“This is really special, just to have this happen at my home and just to see what we collectively have been able to do in the last three, three and a half years as an organization, it’s really impressive,” Morgan said. “And for myself, it’s just a proud moment to celebrate with my family. It’s hard to put into words, because I really never expected something like this to even be possible.”
Morgan, who captained the Wave during her three years with the club, made 50 appearances, contributing 23 goals and nine assists while wearing No.13.
After hanging up her cleats, a couple of months later, on May 13, it was announced that she would become a minority investor in the franchise, showing she is not letting go of San Diego completely.
“This is only the fourth year of existence, so myself as an investor, my hope is for this to continue growing and evolving, and that includes having a great facility, that includes having some of the best talent, both domestically and internationally, and that includes having, you know, continuing to have winning seasons,” Morgan said. “We’ve had a shield before, we’ve had a challenge cup, but we need, we need a championship now.”
Besides making history in San Diego, Morgan has represented the United States in a good manner. She is a two-time Olympian, winning a gold medal at the 2012 Summer Games and a bronze medal at the 2020 Summer Games. She also won World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019.
Before ending her career in her hometown, she played for the Portland Thorns FC and Orlando Pride.
Off the field, she is a mother and an advocate for women’s sports in the NWSL. Defender Kennedy Wesley mentioned how Morgan has had an overall impact in the league.
“To be able to not only be a fan of hers, but to be her teammate at some point, something that I never dreamed of,” Wesley said. “Seeing how she’s paved the way, not just for women’s sports, but for moms, for women in business, and all of the avenues that she’s able to navigate is truly incredible and it’s really exciting to see her be recognized for that. We’ve come a long way where women are now being celebrated for all of that stuff.”
Morgan has been an advocate for equal pay in women’s sports.
“It’s [her] participation and also her driving a lot of the equal pay for women in the game internationally,” defender Kyra Carusa said.
The club emphasized Morgan’s career on social media platforms, such as Instagram, where it shared a video shown at the ceremony. The video featured messages from former players and coaches, Mayor Todd Gloria, Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove, San Diego FC head coach Mikey Varas, and Tony Gwynn Jr. It closed with her husband, former professional soccer player Servando Carrasco, and their daughter, Charlie Elena Carrasco.
The club’s social media also shared photos of a memorabilia table outside the stadium where fans could take pictures and write letters to Morgan.
In celebration of her jersey retirement, the Wave distributed 10,000 pink headbands, her signature accessory, and many young girls wore ponytails adorned with pink headbands in tribute. Fans held signs supporting AM13, and current Wave players showed their support by walking through the tunnel in Alex Morgan T-shirts.
When the game ended, staff rushed onto the field to set up the ceremony, including a stage with signs featuring the Wave logo and Morgan’s jersey number. The stage held a podium and her framed jersey, while machines behind it released blue and pink smoke.
As Morgan took the stage, fans who stayed for the ceremony gave her a standing ovation, cheered and repeatedly chanted her name, clapping in unison.
During her speech, Morgan thanked the most important people in her life, including her parents, her husband, the organization, her former teammates, and her fans.
When she mentioned the fans, the crowd erupted in cheers.
“We have been through it, the ebbs and flows, the high and lows,” Morgan said. “There’s something about sports, it brings people together, the passions, just coming to a game, having that optimism, but dealing with the lows together too. We did it all, and I just applaud you showing up every single day, that’s why I showed up every single day.”
Morgan spoke directly to the younger fans, sharing her journey and experience.
“To the young girls and boys in the stadium, this wasn’t a possibility for seven-year-old Alex,” Morgan said. “Seven-year-old Alex had a dream of playing soccer, but not in my wildest dreams can I imagine standing up here and seeing my number get retired. Because it just wasn’t possible, and now it is.”
At the end of the speech, a countdown led to the unveiling of a banner bearing her last name and jersey number No.13 near the Toyota Terrace, as pink and blue smoke filled the stadium, and the crowd cheered.
Morgan has been a foundation of women’s soccer in sports, and her legacy will not go unnoticed as the next generation of female athletes rises.
