Alex Morgan won't be playing in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
For the first time in over a decade, the decorated athlete will miss the Games after being left off the 18-person roster for the U.S. women's soccer team.
"I'm disappointed about not having the opportunity to represent our country on the Olympic stage," Morgan wrote on X June 26. "This will always be a tournament that is close to my heart and I take immense pride any time I put on the crest."
"In less than a month, I look forward to supporting this team," the striker, who won a gold medal with the team at the 2012 Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2020 Olympics, continued, "and cheering them on alongside the rest of our country. LFG."
As for who will be competing on the USWNT at the Olympics starting July 26? Forwards Crystal Dunn, Trinity Rodman, Jaedyn Shaw, Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson made the final cut, along with midfielders Korbin Albert, Sam Coffey, Lindsey Horan, Rose Lavelle, Catarina Macario, as well as defenders Tierna Davidson, Emily Fox, Naomi Girma, Casey Krueger, Jenna Nighswonger and Emily Sonnett.
Casey Murphy and Alyssa Naeher were named the team's official goalkeepers, while alternates include, Jane Campbell (goalkeeper), Hal Hershfelt (midfielder), Croix Bethune (midfielder) and Lynn Williams (forward).
While head coach Emma Hayes did not specifically address Morgan's omission from the roster, she did reflect on the tough process of putting together her Olympic team.
"Making an Olympic roster is a huge privilege and an honor and there is no denying that it was an extremely competitive process among the players and that there were difficult choices, especially considering how hard everyone has worked over the past 10 months," Hayes said June 26. "Choosing an 18-player roster plus alternates involved many considerations, but I am excited for the group we have selected and I'm looking forward to building on the work from last camp as we head into the Send-Off matches and then onto France."
"These are great opportunities for us," she added, "to continue to show the progress we are making."
As the countdown begins for the Paris Olympics, revisit the most viral moments from the Games.
A Flag Bearer to Remember
Pita Taufatofua almost broke the internet during his appearance at the Opening Ceremony for the 2016 Olympics. Specifically, while serving as Tonga's flag bearer, the taekwondo practitioner made a stir after wearing a taʻovala, which featured his oiled and shirtless body.
He reprised his flag bearer position at both the 2018 Winter Olympics and the 2020 Summer Olympics—and we couldn't be more pleased.
The Snowflake in Sochi
There was a flurry of commotion after one of the electronic snowflakes for the 2014 Olympics' Opening Ceremony in Sochi failed to expand into an Olympic ring.
A Celebrity Fan
After Simone Biles revealed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that her celebrity crush was Zac Efron, the High School Musical alum surprised the Olympian and her teammates on NBC while they were in Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Games.
After Hoda Kotb teased Efron's presence, Biles declared, "If you bring him out, I think I'm going to pass out."
Thankfully, the gold medalist—who is now married to football player Jonathan Owens—didn't faint and got an A-list visit with the actor, which included a kiss on the cheek.
Lady Gaga Look-Alike
Tell me somethin', girl: Is that Lady Gaga?
Taekwondo competitor Julyana Al-Sadeq from Jordan had viewers doing a double-take as many thought she looked like the Grammy winner.
Shocked by the Scores
Ashley Wagner wasn’t happy after she saw her scores for the short program during the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.
“I looked at the scores, and with me, what you see is what you get. And I don’t make any apologies for it,” she explained to Bethenny Frankel on the talk-show Bethenny that year. “I made a face, and it was over. It was the face that went around the world.”
Despite that disappointment, Wagner ended the Olympics with a bronze medal in the team event.
Squirrel on the Slopes
A squirrel cheated death after running across the slopes during the 2018 Winter Olympics. In fact, Austrian snowboarded Daniela Ulbing impressively dodged the rodent during the Women's Parallel Giant Slalom event.
McKayla Maroney Is Unimpressed
McKayla Maroney became an instant meme when she debuted her unimpressed face after receiving the silver medal at the London Olympics.
"I remember doing the face for literally two seconds," the Olympian explained in a 2014 interview with Inside Gymnastics Magazine. "Like, if you watch the video, it's two seconds. And I remember thinking, did I just make a face? Because it's natural. I do it all the time. I have pictures of me when I'm little doing it. I have it on my Mac computer when I'm like 13."
The Phelps Face
With a record-breaking number of medals, Michael Phelps was already an intimidating opponent at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. And ahead of the 200-meter butterfly semifinal, the swimmer debuted a game face that sent the internet into a tizzy. He later revealed at the MTV Video Music Awards that he was listening to Future while getting in the zone, which caused this expression.
Scream and Shout
Coach Dean Boxall made an impression at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with his enthusiastic reaction to Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus beating U.S. athlete Katie Ledecky in the 400-meter freestyle and taking home the gold.
Supportive Parents
Aly Raisman's parents, Rick and Lynn Raisman, first went viral at the 2012 London Olympics after they were spotted squirming in their seats as their gymnast daughter competed for the gold.
While Rick told USA Today he was "a little horrified," he went on to bring the same energy to the 2016 Rio Olympics, where Aly—who won two golds and a bronze in London— took home another gold medal and two silvers.
Devin Logan's "Tiny Hands"
Silver medalist Devin Logan made a splash at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics by having an unexpected good-luck piece. The Olympic freeskier debuted tiny hand trinkets that she'd wave to the crowd after runs. After the tiny hands went viral, the Olympian revealed she got them from her brother.
Johnny Quinn's Door Takedown
American bobsledder Johnny Quinn made headlines at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi—but not for his performance on the course. The athlete found himself trapped in a bathroom and was forced to bust through the door. Understandably, this moment caused quite a stir online.
Not So Blue Water
After the pools at the 2016 Olympics started turning green, people began wondering what was going on. According to CBS, the color change was caused by an incorrect amount of hydrogen peroxide being added to the water. Terrible for the Olympics committee, hilarious for those on Twitter.
007 & QE2
The 2012 Olympics in London kicked off with a memorable opening ceremony thanks to James Bond (Daniel Craig) and Queen Elizabeth II. In the special intro, the secret agent accompanied the British monarch to the Summer Games, corgis and all. What we didn't expect? The Queen skydiving with Bond into the international event.
(We know she didn't actually skydive, but it gave us a chuckle nonetheless.)