Alex Morgan Becomes 27th Player In History To Make 200 International Appearances

Tonight in Harrison, New Jersey, Alex Morgan will become the 13th United States soccer player to win 200 international caps when she takes the field against Germany. She will join an exclusive list in becoming only the 27th player of all time to achieve the feat.

Twelve United States women have previously made over 200 appearances for their country led by the world’s most capped player of all time, Kristine Lilly with 354 games. Morgan joins her and Carli Lloyd (316), Christie Pearce (311), Mia Hamm (276), Julie Foudy (274), Abby Wambach (255), Joy Fawcett (241), Heather O’Reilly (231), Becky Sauerbruun (210), Tiffany Milbrett (206), Hope Solo (202) and Kate Markgraf (201).

No male players have ever officially made 200 international appearances in FIFA-recognized matches. Kuwait’s Bader Al-Mutawa is the male world-record appearance holder with 196 caps. Currently on 191, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo is set to surpass him but now aged 37, he would have to play beyond this month’s World Cup in Qatar to break into the currently exclusively female-only 200 club.

A star at the u20 Women’s World Cup in 2008 in which she scored four goals including the winner in the final, Morgan burst onto the international consciousness at the 2011 senior FIFA Women’s World Cup as a game-changing substitute scoring in the semi-final victory over France and the opening goal of the final in Frankfurt. Since then she has become an Olympic champion in 2012 and a double world champion.

Looking back on her first international appearance in 2010, Morgan admitted “I was very wide-eyed and just eager to learn and so overwhelmed with everything when my first cap hit me. A lot has happened since then, obviously a lot of personnel change in terms of players. A lot of what this team is about has continued to remain. It’s just great to continue to be on this journey and be able to continue representing this team and this country for twelve years now. . . twelve years and counting.”

Her impact on the game stretches far beyond the field as she was heralded for returning to international soccer just seven months after giving birth to her daughter Charlie and thus becoming only the twelfth mother to play for the United States. She has been one of the leaders in the team’s fight for equal pay and was even chosen by toy manufacturers Mattel to have a special signature Barbie doll made of her as a role model for young girls around the world.

Speaking about the landmark before tonight’s game, Morgan admitted “it’s a little surreal coming up on 200, because I almost feel like 100 was just a couple of years ago and before that, my first cap. I’ve absolutely loved every moment that I’ve played on this team and I never take anything for granted. I’m just fortunate and grateful to continue to be here representing the country. Now as one of the most-capped players and one of the veterans on the team, I hope to continue leading this team and I hope that we’re successful in my 200th cap because I really want to win.”

As well as being the 27th highest-capped player in the world, Morgan is also the seventh highest goalscorer of all time with 119 goals in her 199 international appearances so far, the last twelve of those coming after she gave birth in April 2020. She is behind only Canada’s Christine Sinclair (191), Wambach (184), Hamm (158), Lloyd (134), Lilly (130) and Germany’s Birgit Prinz (128).

Morgan, a double World Cup winner in 2015 and 2019 is one of four United States players alongside Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe and Tobin Heath to feature in three World Cup final matches, having also lost the 2011 final to Japan on penalties.

Of those players, Morgan is most likely to feature as a starter in the 2023 World Cup tournament in Australia and New Zealand. The great Pelé is the only player in history to win three World Cup winners medals but having missed the culmination of the second of those victories in 1962 through injury, no player has yet featured in three World Cup winning teams. For Morgan, more records beckon before she finally decides to quit the game which has made her a worldwide star.