Alex Morgan
soccer/football player
Alex is established as one of the most successful players of her generation in women’s soccer - with success at national and international level.
- Played at multiple World Cups
- Second ever player to reach 20 goals & 20 assists in one season
- Named Female Athlete of the Year
- 2019 World Cup Silver boot winner
- European Treble winner with Lyon
She started playing for the California Golden Bears while at University before being drafted as the overall number one in 2011. This took her to Western New York Flash.
In the same year she represented USA at the Women’s World Cup where the team took silver. At the London 2012 Olympics she scored the match-winning goal in the semi final. That year she became only the second American woman to score 20 goals and collect 20 assists in one calendar year. She also became only the sixth (and the youngest) player to score 20 goals in a season.
She was subsequently named U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year and was a FIFA World Player of the Year finalist. She helped the United States win their titles at the 2015 and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cups. Alex was named in the Dream Team for both tournaments, winning the Silver Boot in 2019. She has attracted endorsements and was the most endorsed female sportsperson of 2022 (more here). Alex was named in the 2022 FIFPro Women’s World XI (here).
In 2023 she had the top FIFA 23 player ratings (here).
“I adopted a vegan diet, because it didn’t feel fair to have a dog I adore, and yet eat meat all the time.”
At club level she has played for Portland Thorns, Orlando Pride and Lyon. At Lyon she won the European treble, which included the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Vegan
Alex went vegan shortly after starring in a companion animal campaign for PETA alongside her rescued pup, Blue, and hasn’t looked back. This was around November 2017. “I’m passionate about giving animals a voice,” she explained. “I even adopted a vegan diet, because it didn’t feel fair to have a dog I adore, and yet eat meat all the time.”
While the decision to go vegan was ethical, Alex has also noticed benefits in terms of injuries.
Morgan, who has been prone to injury in the past, told the podcast Hurdle:
“I’m knocking on wood right now, but I haven’t had a serious injury [since her last, which was before going vegan] and I credit that to my diet. I feel better all around, I feel like I have great energy, I feel like I’m sleeping really well, I feel like I’m just more clear-minded and not as reliant on caffeine as before.” She’s also seen a drop in her bad cholesterol and found she recovers more quickly.
Training hard
Unsurprisingly, Alex has a demanding training regime. She spends time in the gym, on the training pitch, yoga, running and spin classes.
“I try to push myself a little every day. For me, it’s doing 10 more seconds of whatever I’m working on. So if I’m on the treadmill sprinting my butt off or doing a grueling core workout, I think to myself, ‘You can do 10 more seconds, and you’ll be that much mentally stronger.’ After a while, those 10 seconds add up!”
She’s worked hard on her positioning, movement, control and skills.
Fuelling this is not a problem. She starts the day with oatmeal, nut butter and berries. Later she will have a smoothie with added protein before training, which usually keeps her going through to lunch.
Lunch may be rice, quinoa, veggies and black beans. Later she may have a protein shake with almond or soy milk.
For dinner Alex has some favourites such as chickpea Thai curry, an impossible burger with rice and zucchini, Mexican bean and veggie burrito. Alternatively she may have something Mediterranean with rice and zucchini.
Not just a player
Alex has other skills; she’s written a book about four soccer players which made the New York Times bestseller list. She’s starred in a film, and has developed successful social media channels. In 2019 she announced that she was expecting her first child, and trained until late in the pregnancy. After giving birth she played on loan in England for Tottenham, and returned to the US national team.
Of course, soccer is her primary focus, and she’s looking forward to the 2023 World Cup.
“I just look at continuing to play on top of my game [and] bring home more medals,” she said. “There’s really no endpoint in sight. I feel like I’m still pretty young and have a lot more to offer.”