Soccer fans were shocked to learn Alex Morgan would be left off the U.S. women’s national team (USWNT) at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, in what will be the USWNT’s first major tournament or Olympic games without the star forward since 2008.
Morgan shared the news on social media. “Today, I’m disappointed about not having the opportunity to represent our country on the Olympic stage. This will always be a tournament that is close to my heart and I take immense pride any time I put on the crest,” her X post said. “In less than a month, I look forward to supporting this team and cheering them on alongside the rest of our country,” she added.
The USWNT is younger than average
It’s not clear why the USWNT’s new soccer coach Emma Hayes left Alex Morgan off the roster, but according to CBS News, the U.S. will field a younger-than-average team at the 2024 Olympic Games. Morgan was almost 35 when her absence from the 18-player USWNT roster was announced.
“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 onto France. These are great opportunities for us to continue to show the progress we are making,” Hayes said in a statement, without directly referencing her decision to exclude Morgan.
Sidelining the star forward was a snub, according to fan reaction. “How can you leave behind one of the nations greatest players? The disrespect is real [sic],” one comment responded.
Morgan’s age was mentioned in at least one comment on X. “Interesting… [Morgan’s] only 34 and probably the most highly decorated player on the team now (maybe I’m mistaken). Yet the women’s basketball team found a way to include Diana Taurasi who’s 42…” one comment said.
Some soccer fans saw the logic in the decision, however. “Love Alex Morgan. She hasn’t done much the last couple of years. It’s time to move forward. There are other players more deserving. We would’ve made a run in the last world cup if we had someone scoring. We only allowed one goal [sic],” Brian French wrote on X.
Hayes mentioned Morgan at a press conference
USWNT coach Emma Hayes mentioned Alex Morgan’s absence from the USWNT roster at a press conference according to NPR, but gave few specifics about what caused her to leave the fifth-highest scorer in team history off the list. “It was a tough decision, of course, especially considering Alex’s history and record with this team. But I felt that I wanted to go in another direction and selected other players,” Hayes said.
The UWNT has slumped somewhat as of late, winning bronze in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, and leaving the World Cup 2023 in the round of 16. Going into the Paris Olympics, the UWNT was ranked fifth in FIFA’s international rankings, the team’s lowest mark since FIFA started the ranking system 20 years ago. As it stands, the UWNT will play its first Olympic match on July 25 against Zambia.