Alex Morgan reacts to massive statue of her before World Cup
Alex Morgan, meet statue Alex Morgan.
Ahead of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the USWNT soccer legend was presented with a statue of herself on Tuesday at the Dignity Health Sports Park in California.
“You guys, she is big,” Morgan said on Twitter.
Fox Sports unveiled the statue to Morgan, 33, promoting the network’s upcoming coverage of the tournament.
The work features Morgan posing as the Statue of Liberty with the World Cup trophy in hand, wearing a USWNT uniform and draped in an American flag.
The 825-pound statue was made out of reinforced and hard-coated foam as well as 3-D printed resin for the head and the trophy.
“It’s cute, it’s taller than me for sure,” Morgan said, according to Fox Sports. “It’s so real. We should pack that in our suitcases and take it with us.”
Morgan’s statue is embarking on a nationwide tour, overseen by Fox Sports, including visits to New York City and the MLB All-Star Game in Seattle.
The soccer star has had quite the week, having been featured in Calvin Klein’s “Calvins or Nothing” campaign that was released on Tuesday.
Now, though, Morgan’s focus shifts to the task at hand.
Morgan headlines this year’s USWNT with Megan Rapinoe, 37, as the squad looks to win its third-consecutive World Cup.
The forward was a big piece of the 2015 and 2019 title victories, and will take on a greater leadership role with captain Becky Sauerbrunn sidelined due to a foot injury.
For the veterans, the 2023 tournament may be their last go at it, and they’re competing with a younger look than previous USWNT winning teams –– 14 players on this year’s roster will be making their World Cup debuts.
Alyssa Thompson, Sophia Smith and Naomi Girma are among the talented youngsters working to make an impact on the turf this summer.
The U.S. will enter the World Cup as the No. 1 ranked team and will open its tournament run on July 22 (9 p.m. ET July 21) in Auckland, New Zealand against Vietnam in Group E play.