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Let's start with just a few titles that we can ascribe to 29-year-old soccer extraordinaire, Alex Morgan: Olympic Gold Medalist, FIFA World Cup champion, published author, youngest U.S. soccer player to score six goals in a single year, early graduate from the University of California, Berkeley, to name a few of the milestones the soccer player has reached before the age of 30.
It begs the question - is there something the talented striker from the U.S. Women's national soccer team can't do? Most recently, Alex scored big when she ranked on Times 100: Most Influential People 2019 list, her bio written by soccer legend, Mia Hamm.
VIEW GALLERY Alex Morgan stretches during a training session for Team USA at the FIFA World Cup / Credit: Grosby
It hardly seems likely that the young player who hails from California needs much of an introduction these days. If you aren't already glued to the TV, you may want to catch Morgan in action as she defends the U.S.'s World Cup title in Nice, France. So, what do we know about the young star who's making headlines the world over and is pushing toward equitable pay for American female athletes? Here are the top five things you should know about Alex, starting from the very, very beginning.
1. She has always wanted to play the game
VIEW GALLERY Soccer has been Morgan's passion ever since she was a little girl / Credit: @AlexMorgan13
Born July 2, 1989 in San Dimas, California, Alexandra Patricia Morgan was 14 years old when she started to play club soccer. Although the star-to-be was already deftly kicking the ball on the field, it wasn't until her teenage years that she decided to focus her energy exclusively on the sport. If you're into ~astrology~, the ~zodiac~ and the ~stars~, this would make Alex a Cancer which if universal characteristics are to believed, would make her tenacious and very much career-oriented. No surprise there!
2. Birds of a feather! Alex is married to a soccer player
VIEW GALLERY Drink in hand, Alex enjoys some outdoor fun with hubby Servando Carrasco, who is also a professional soccer player / Credit: @AlexMorgan13
On New Year's Eve 2014, Alex and fellow soccer player Servando Carrasco tied the knot after meeting in college at the University of California Berkeley. Carrasco, who is Mexican and spent his formative years in Tijuana, shares not only the love of the sport with Alex but also a liking for all sorts of outdoor activities. They also share one very special love apart from the romantic love between them, and that is...
3. Their shared love of pups!
VIEW GALLERY Servando and Morgan cuddle up to their rescue dog, Blue / Credit: @AlexMorgan13
And one dog in particular: their rescue pup, Blue. Alex feels so impassioned about animals, animal rights and the importance of adoption that she starred in a PETA campaign where she talked about how Blue is another member of the family. You can see just how well integrated Blue is into the Morgan-Carrasco family by taking one quick glance at Alex's social media channels. For Blue's birthday, the family of three spent the day on the beach - and yes, a few of his dog friends were invited, too!
VIEW GALLERY Celebrating Blue's birthday on the beach with a few other dogs - the couple is very much into animals / Credit: @AlexMorgan13
4. She makes the bucks - the beaucoup bucks
VIEW GALLERY Alex enjoying her time in France for the 2019 FIFA World Cup, taking the obligatory Eiffel tower shot - when in Rome! / Credit: @AlexMorgan13
She is considered one of the most marketable athletes in the business, having scored sizable endorsement deals with top companies like Beats by Dre, Nike, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Nationwide Morgan, Panasonic, among others. Alex was also ranked by Time magazine as the top-paid American women's soccer player. Regardless of her big paycheck, Alex is also fighting toward having equal pay across the board. The Orlando Pride player along with 26 other members of the USWNT (US Women's National Team) filed an equal pay lawsuit against U.S. Soccer, as reported by ProSoccer USA.
5. She graced the cover of Sports Illustrated - and looked absolutely smokin'
VIEW GALLERY Peace! Life's good for Alex - and her outlook even more so / Credit: @AlexMorgan13
She shared the photos of her cover shoot on her social media channels, captioning the photos with, "It's been 5 years since the last time I was a part of #SISwim and let me tell you, for this, it was worth the wait!"
It's clear that Morgan is making a lasting impression. Among a select few before her, she is one of the reasons Mia Hamm's outlook on the game is so positive. "As the mother of 12-year-old twin daughters, I fully understand the impact that Alex makes on this next generation of young girls," writes Mia Hamm. "Her commitment to set such a positive example for them is unmatched, and I am incredibly grateful that the future of our game is in such good hands."
BONUS FACT: She's a wonderful daughter-in-law - find out why in the link below!
THE SPECIAL REASON ALEX MORGAN WEARS A PINK HEADBAND TO ALL HER SOCCER MATCHES