Morgan Trusts in the NWSL: The Salary Cap and Women’s Soccer Stars

Alex Morgan Analyzes the Future of the NWSL: Talent Attraction and the Impact of the Salary Cap

The former forward of the United States women’s national team, Alex Morgan, shared her perspectives on the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Morgan believes that the league has the ability to attract and retain the best players, even with the restrictions imposed by the salary cap. In an exclusive interview, Morgan highlighted the importance of the NWSL as an attractive destination for both national and international players. However, she also acknowledged that players’ decisions are personal, and that some prominent figures have chosen to play abroad. The NWSL has seen the departure of young talents to European teams. Recently, Angel City FC transferred Alyssa Thompson, a promising 20-year-old forward, to Chelsea. The league has set a salary cap of $3.3 million for 2025, with a gradual increase to $5.1 million by 2030, according to the new collective bargaining agreement. Morgan, who is a minority owner of the San Diego Wave, where she concluded her career in 2024, has an impressive record. She is a two-time world champion and Olympic champion, and ranks fifth in the history of the United States women’s national team with 123 international goals.

Alex Morgan retired with the San Diego Wave last year.Morgan has played most of her career in the NWSL, with brief periods at Lyon, where she won the UEFA Champions League, and at Tottenham. Morgan emphasized that the NWSL offers the right balance to attract the best players, thanks to the combination of competitive salaries, constantly improving facilities, and the high competitiveness of the league.

This is the most competitive league in the world, without a doubt. In every match, you must field your best players. You face constant challenges. Any team can beat anyone. It’s the most competitive league.

Alex Morgan

The competitiveness of the league is a key factor in attracting players, who seek to improve their performance week after week, instead of focusing only on important matches. NWSL teams have proven to be competitive in the transfer market. Orlando Pride set a new world record in August by paying $1.5 million for Mexican midfielder Lizbeth Ovalle. In the realm of transfers, transfers of more than one million dollars have been recorded in women’s soccer, all of them made since January. Morgan highlighted the importance of academies and predicted an increase in transfer figures in the future.