United States Soccer announced its 2024 Paris Olympics roster for the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT), and one name is notable for its absence on the list of 18 people. The USWNT will head to France without forward Alex Morgan, a 14-year veteran of the squad who was a co-captain as recently as a friendly match in early June.
Morgan’s 224 caps are the most among active American players, as are her 123 international goals, with the latter ranking fifth in USWNT history.
Coach Emma Hayes, who just took over the job last month, admitted it was hard to narrow the team down to 18 players. While she didn’t name Morgan in her Wednesday statement, it will startle many fans to not see Morgan’s No. 13 on the pitch for a major tournament for the first time since the 2008 Summer Olympics.
“Making an Olympic roster is a huge privilege and an honor and there is no denying that it was an extremely competitive process among the players and that there were difficult choices, especially considering how hard everyone has worked over the past 10 months,” Hayes said.
“Choosing an 18-player roster plus alternates involved many considerations, but I am excited for the group we have selected and I’m looking forward to building on the work from last camp as we head into the Send-Off matches and then on to France. These are great opportunities for us to continue to show the progress we are making.”
Morgan, who turns 35 on July 2, is a casualty of a youth movement underway with the USWNT, which relied on veterans such as Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Julie Ertz, and Kelley O’Hara for so many years. O’Hara, who turns 36 on August 4, wasn’t selected for the Olympic squad either, while Ertz, 32, and Rapinoe, 38, are retired. Just nine players who played in the 2020 Olympics—which took place in 2021—made this year’s squad, with nine more making their Olympic debuts. As a result, the average age of the roster is 26.8, the youngest USWNT Olympics roster since 2008 and four years younger than the 30.8 average age at the 2020 Olympic Games.
Morgan took to social media to react to being left off the team, after making every Olympic team or FIFA World Cup roster since 2011.
“Today, I’m disappointed about not having the opportunity to represent our country on the Olympic stage,” revealed Morgan. “This will always be a tournament that is close to my heart, and I take immense pride any time I put on the crest.
“In less than a month, I look forward to supporting this team and cheering them on alongside the rest of our country.”
Although she won’t represent her country in Paris, this doesn’t mean that Morgan is completely done with the national team. She could be selected for future games or tournaments, although the next major women’s soccer tournament isn’t until 2026 with the CONCACAF W Championship.
Women’s soccer at the Olympics has a bit more prestige than men’s soccer, due to a number of factors. One is that men’s continental tournaments, such as the ongoing European Championship and Copa America, are held in the same summers as the Olympics. While the tournaments don’t overlap, many players elect to represent their countries in the continental tournaments rather than the Olympics.
Another reason is that FIFA has an age restriction on the men’s side in which Olympic rosters must be comprised of players under 23 years of age, with three over-age players allowed for each squad. There are no age restrictions for women’s soccer teams at the Olympics, while women’s continental tournaments aren’t held in the same summer as the Olympics.
Morgan will miss out on a couple of potential records with her omission from the USWNT. Had she made the team and played in every game through the semifinals, she would have tied Carli Lloyd and Christie Rampone with the most Olympic caps (22) in USWNT Olympic history. It would also have been her fourth Olympic Games, tying the team record, and she needed to score four goals to match Lloyd’s record for most goals (10) by a USWNT player at the Olympics.
The USWNT will have a pair of mid-July friendlies before departing for Paris, with group play beginning for them on July 25. They are in Group B alongside Zambia, Germany, and Australia, and are fifth in FIFA World Ranking, which is the team’s lowest standing since rankings were introduced in 2003.
The 18-player roster for the USWNT for the Summer Olympics is below, with the club team listed as well as caps/goals.
GOALKEEPERS (2): Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage; 19), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars; 104)
DEFENDERS (6): Tierna Davidson (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 58/3), Emily Fox (Arsenal FC, ENG; 49/1), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC; 32/0), Casey Krueger (Washington Spirit; 49/0), Jenna Nighswonger (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 9/2), Emily Sonnett (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 91/2)
MIDFIELDERS (5): Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA; 11/0), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC; 17/1), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon, FRA; 148/35), Rose Lavelle (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 100/24), Catarina Macario (Chelsea FC, ENG; 19/8)
FORWARDS (5): Crystal Dunn (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 147/25), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit; 38/7), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC; 14/7), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC; 48/19), Mallory Swanson (Chicago Red Stars; 92/34)
ALTERNATES: Goalkeeper Jane Campbell, midfielder Hal Hershfelt, midfielder Croix Bethune, and forward Lynn Williams.
