Alex Morgan retires from professional soccer and is expecting her second child

Over the course of a career that included two women's World Cup titles and an Olympic gold medal, Alex Morgan elevated the women's game through her play on the field and activism off it.

The 35-year-old Morgan, who said she is pregnant with her second child, announced on Thursday that she is retiring from soccer after a 15-year career. She was near tears in a video posted to social media.

“This decision wasn’t easy, but at the beginning of 2024 I felt in my heart and soul that this was the last season that I would play soccer,” she said. “Soccer has been a part of me for 30 years, and it was one of the first things that I ever loved. I gave everything to this sport and what I got in return was more than I could have ever dreamed of.”

Morgan will play her final match with her club team, the San Diego Wave of the National Women’s Soccer League, on Sunday at Snapdragon Stadium.

In addition to World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019, Morgan also won a gold medal with the United States at the 2012 London Olympics and a bronze at the Tokyo Games in 2021.

Early in her career, she was known by the nickname Baby Horse, a moniker given to her by teammates because of her long strides. One of her most memorable goals came in London, the game-winner in extra time against Canada that put the United States into the Olympic final. A year earlier, she scored in the World Cup final against Japan.

At the 2019 World Cup, Morgan scored the deciding goal in a 2-1 semifinal victory over England, which she celebrated by pretending to sip tea.

Morgan played in 224 matches for the national team, ninth-all time, with 123 goals (fifth all-time) and 53 assists (ninth all-time). She was named the U.S. Soccer Player of the Year in 2012 and 2018.

Along the way, Morgan arguably became one of the most recognizable athletes in the United States. She has had partnerships with such companies as Coca-Cola, Chipotle, Google and Nike, and in 2022 was designated the most-endorsed female athlete by SponsorsUnited, which tracks sponsorship deals globally.

“Don't think many people will ever understand the weight you carried with you being the face of this team and women's football in general,” U.S. captain Lindsey Horan said in a tribute to Morgan on Instagram. “You made the game better for so many little ones looking up to you and what an incredible career on top of it.”

Her last game with the United States came on June 4, 2024, against South Korea. She was left off the roster that new coach Emma Hayes selected for this year's Paris Olympics.

Known as much for her activism as her play, Morgan was among five players in 2016 who filed a complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for wage discrimination. The team went on to sue U.S. Soccer in 2019, citing inequitable pay and treatment compared to the men's national team. The lawsuit was settled and in 2022 the sides agreed to collective bargaining agreements that give the teams equal pay and benefits.

“Success for me is defined by never giving up and giving your all, and I did just that,” Morgan said. “I'm giving my all every single day on the field, and I did that giving my all in the relentless push for investment in women's sports, because we deserve that.”

Morgan has played for the Wave since 2022. A founding player in the NWSL, she also had stints with the Portland Thorns and the Orlando Pride during her career. In 2022, she was the league's Golden Boot winner for most goals. She also spent time internationally with Lyon and Tottenham.

Morgan was one of the key figures in bringing to light the NWSL abuse scandal in 2021, which led to the dismissal or resignation of five of the leagues coaches and sparked an investigation that found systemic abuse and misconduct.

Morgan was instrumental in rallying fellow players to demand the NWSL adopt an anti-harassment policy and the reforms she advocated for improved working conditions across the league. She also served on the bargaining committee for the latest collective bargaining agreement with NWSL players announced last month.

“Alex’s legacy is one that will endure for generations, not only in the records, awards and trophies she has earned, but in the countless lives she has touched along the way," NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said.

Morgan and her husband Servando Carrasco have a daughter, Charlie, who was born in 2020.

“Charlie came up to me the other day and said that when she grows up, she wants to be a soccer player,” Morgan said. “It just made me immensely proud, not because I wish for her to become a soccer player when she grows up, but because a pathway exists that even a 4-year-old can see now. We're changing lives and the impact we have on the next generation is irreversible and I'm proud in the hand I had in making that happen, in pushing the game forward and leaving it in a place that I'm so happy and proud of.”

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

FILE - United States' Alex Morgan plays against Canada during a SheBelieves Cup women's soccer match Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete, File)

FILE - United States' Alex Morgan, above, collides with Canada's Vanessa Gilles during the first half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup women's soccer tournament semifinal match, Wednesday, March 6, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)

FILE - Alex Morgan, a member of the United States women's national soccer team, speaks to reporters during a news conference in New York, Friday, May 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

FILE - San Diego Wave forward Alex Morgan, left, controls the ball as OL Reign defender Lauren Barnes defends during the second half of an NWSL semifinal playoff soccer match Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)

San Diego Wave forward Alex Morgan (13) runs during an NWSL soccer match against Seattle Reign, Friday, March 29, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

FILE - United States national women's soccer team player Alex Morgan talks to reporters before a practice to prepare for a friendly match against South Korea, Friday, May 31, 2024, in Commerce City, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

FILE - United States' Alex Morgan holds the trophy celebrating at the end of the Women's World Cup final soccer match between U.S. and The Netherlands at the Stade de Lyon in Decines, outside Lyon, France, Sunday, July 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

FILE - United States' Megan Rapinoe, right, congratulates teammate Alex Morgan after scoring her fifth goal during the Women's World Cup Group F soccer match between the United States and Thailand at the Stade Auguste-Delaune in Reims, France, Tuesday, June 11, 2019. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)

FILE - United States' Alex Morgan is draped in the U.S. flag as she waves to fans after the U.S. beat Japan 5-2 in the FIFA Women's World Cup soccer championship in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Sunday, July 5, 2015. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani rewrote the record book during his first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now, he's getting a chance to make more history in his highly anticipated playoff debut.

Ohtani hit a tying, three-run homer with two outs in the second inning to help Los Angeles win its Division Series opener Saturday night. The Dodgers went on to a 7-5 victory over the San Diego Padres, a team they battled down to the wire before earning their 11th NL West title in 12 years.

“When he does get those opportunities, you feel like he's going to cash them in,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

The Japanese superstar sent a 2-1 pitch from Dylan Cease into right field for a 372-foot shot that had the sellout crowd of 53,028 — including actors Brad Pitt and Rob Lowe — on its feet.

“I could really feel the intensity of the stadium before the game began and I thoroughly enjoyed it,” Ohtani said through an interpreter.

He finished 2 for 5 with three RBIs, two runs scored and two strikeouts as 88-year-old Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax looked on from behind home plate.

“It was pretty exciting,” Ohtani said.

He flied out to left in his first at-bat.

“The focus was really on just having my swing, the quality at-bat that I look for despite being in an excited, high-intensity environment,” Ohtani said. “Although I was out that at-bat, I felt pretty good and wanted to carry that on throughout the other at-bats.”

The Padres had taken a 3-0 lead in the first against Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Ohtani's countryman who is also making his postseason debut in the National League Division Series.

Ohtani, who batted .310 during the regular season, drove in Will Smith, who walked, and Gavin Lux, who singled, to make it 3-3.

San Diego went ahead 5-3 before the Dodgers rallied with three runs in the fourth. Ohtani had a broken-bat single and later scored, along with Mookie Betts, on Teoscar Hernández's single that gave the Dodgers their first lead, 6-5.

“It's really difficult for a playoff team to be able to get into and feel comfortable playing in the first game of the postseason, especially with the long layoff, but I think everyone really contributed,” Ohtani said.

Ohtani is getting his first chance on the October stage after spending the past six years with the Los Angeles Angels, who never had a winning record during his tenure.

He signed a record $700 million, 10-year deal with the Dodgers as a free agent in December. The two-way phenom didn’t pitch this season while rehabbing from a second major elbow surgery. That allowed him to focus on his offense, and he became the first major league player with 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in a season.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, left, celebrates with manager Dave Roberts after the Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres in Game 1 of baseball's NL Division Series, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani reacts as he rounds first base following his three-run home run during the second inning in Game 1 of baseball's NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani watches his three-run home run during the second inning in Game 1 of baseball's NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani breaks his bat as he singles during the fourth inning in Game 1 of baseball's NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani (17) celebrates with manager Dave Roberts, middle right, after Ohtani scored on a single by Teoscar Hernández during the fourth inning in Game 1 of baseball's NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, middle, celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a three-run home run during the second inning in Game 1 of baseball's NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani reacts after hitting a three-run home run during the second inning in Game 1 of baseball's NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani runs from second to third base during the fourth inning in Game 1 of baseball's NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani flies out against the San Diego Padres during the first inning in Game 1 of baseball's NL Division Series Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani (17) bumps fists with teammates before Game 1 of baseball's NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, right, waits for the start of Game 1 of baseball's NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani walks back to the dugout before Game 1 of baseball's NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani flies out against the San Diego Padres during the first inning in Game 1 of baseball's NL Division Series Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)