Having experienced the inspiring, transformative power of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ as a young fan and then a four-time participant and two-time champion, Alex Morgan has a sense of what’s coming when the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brasil 2027™ kicks off in exactly one year’s time. “I’ve seen it, every four years it’s gotten bigger and bigger. And I think just seeing Brazil host it next year – I’m really excited to see the whole world tune into something that is bigger than ever before,” the FIFA Legend said. “It only comes around sometimes once in a lifetime, so I know that they're going to capitalise on it.”

Morgan ended her glittering playing career two years ago, having helped power the United States to the 2015 and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup™ crowns and Olympic Football Tournament gold in 2012. She also won an array of honours at the club level. Morgan’s 123 international goals rank eighth all-time among female players, and she finished as runner-up in The Best FIFA Women's Player voting on two occasions.

There is plenty to reflect on, but Morgan remains engaged with the game and is excited for what is ahead. The growth of women’s football has been meteoric, and Morgan expects next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup to have a similar effect in Brazil and across the globe as the iconic FIFA Women's World Cup USA 1999™ had on her.

“Having the US host the 1999 (FIFA Women’s) World Cup really changed the projection of women’s soccer and women’s sports in the US for the better. And still to this day, there’s effects of that (FIFA Women’s) World Cup and what those women and what this country was able to do around women’s soccer,” she said. “As a 10-year-old, I was captivated by watching these incredible female athletes play their sport at the highest level, because it wasn’t so common to be able to witness that on TV or live in-person,” Morgan continued. “It seemed like they were just made into stars overnight, and they really made dreams. They sparked dreams in little girls like myself in that moment to want to play professional soccer and one day want to be in those shoes.”

Brazil represents the perfect place for women’s football to take its next generational leap. The tournament’s 10th edition will run between 24 June and 25 July 2027, taking place across eight Host Cities. Critically, it will mark the first time the FIFA Women’s World Cup is staged in South America. Both the host country and South American continent are steeped in football tradition, and the women’s game there possesses massive growth potential. “I think Brazil is going to be a great host country for the (FIFA) Women's World Cup,” Morgan said. “Football is so embedded into Brazilian culture and day-to-day life. You walk through the streets, or the beach towns, anywhere, you talk to anyone who's Brazilian and football is bound to come up.”

The USA and Brazil were relatively frequent opponents during Morgan’s career, meeting in a famous 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup quarter-final which the Americans won on penalties, as well as numerous friendlies. She scored three times against As Canarinhas and developed a real respect for that renowned passion and potential. “I know that that being just such a part of their life, so prominently, it’s really exciting to have them host a (FIFA Women’s) World Cup,” she said. “I know that everyone In Brazil is going to be wanting to go to those games, obviously supporting the Brazilian women's team who are doing quite well right now. But in general, there's going to be a lot of excitement. There's going to be a tonne of energy.”

The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 will be the second and last edition with 32 teams. The finals will expand to 48 in 2031. When Morgan was first inspired by her heroes in 1999, the tournament featured just 16 teams and 87 qualifying hopefuls (including the host). Less than three decades later, 180 nations (including the host) set out on the road to Brazil. Each generation inspires the next, and women’s football is going in only one direction.

“This competition has grown incredibly,” Morgan said. “Just looking back from ‘99, and then when I first entered onto the stage in 2011, and my last one in 2023, first of all, the quality of soccer has grown. With each of the teams, the competition has gotten better. The amount of brands and people that want to be a part of it, the elevation that FIFA has played a part in making this the biggest women’s sporting event in the world.”