There’ll never be another like Alex Morgan – but her legacy is carried on in the players she has inspired
How do you answer the question 'who will be the next Alex Morgan?' Well, you can't... because there never will be another like her.
Football
There will never be another like Alex Morgan.
In her 15-year career, she shouldered the growth of the women’s game as the face of soccer in the United States.
Her work on and off the pitch set her apart from so many others – her advocacy and allyship have been the backbone of driving standards worldwide.
To replace her is no easy feat, no matter how much talent the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) have at their disposal.
Perhaps the easy answer to who the ‘next Morgan’ will be is daughter Charlie, who has already been vocal about following in the footsteps of her trailblazing mother.
But it is more realistic that there is no single replacement for the iconic no.13, but rather a long-lasting legacy that will be continued by the players she inspired.
Inspired by Alex Morgan
The sheer number of current and upcoming players that name Morgan as a role model is no doubt too many to count.
But it is clear that she has had a lasting impact on them.
Take Naomi Girma – when it comes to channelling the advocacy off the pitch, Morgan’s former teammate leads by example.
Earlier this year, the 24-year-old launched the Create the Space retreat in collaboration with Common Goal.
“Create the Space has been a passion project for me,” she told Olympics.com.
“It was sparked from losing my best friend [Katie Meyer] to suicide and just a want to do something to continue the conversation [around] mental heatlh and sports.
“But also to take action and create some real change with it.”
The first retreat launched in January 2024, which brought together 20 NWSL players and 25 youth coaches in the hopes of applying “mental health skills through youth and professional soccer.”
When it came to promoting this message and uniting for mental health, Morgan was among Girma’s national teammates willing to support the cause.
Sophia Smith, Olympic Games Paris 2024
Next in the forward line
When it comes to action on the field, striker Sophia Smith has been leading the line for the United States for the last few years.
Since her debut for the USWNT in 2020, she has scored 23 goals in just less than 60 games.
Dubbed an intelligent all-round player, electric on and off the ball, there is one thing that really sets her apart: mentality.
Expectations since bursting onto the scene have been high, much like a 20-year-old Morgan had to deal with, but Smith has always backed herself.
“The best in the world,” she responded, when asked how good she can become.
“I said that even when I was younger, when I was nowhere near where I am now, when I had such a long way to go.
“That’s always been my goal, always where I wanted to be - I have to never be satisfied with where I am. I still want more from myself - a lot more.”
Then there’s the likes of Jaedyn Shaw, who has frightening potential at just 19.
She had the benefit of training with and learning from Morgan, with the pair playing together at the San Diego Wave.
There is no straightforward answer to who the next Alex is – because she was one of a kind.
But her impact on the sport will be carried on in the players that she has inspired on and off the pitch.
That kind of legacy simply cannot be emulated.