Has Alex Morgan ever won the Best FIFA Football Award?

The United States national star has been at the forefront of the women’s game for over a decade and is in the conversation for another award.

As we reach the end of February, the awards ceremonies are well and truly underway. The Grammys have come and gone, the Oscars are on our horizon, and world football’s governing body are laying down their red carpet for the Best FIFA Football Awards 2022, and our three finalists for the Best Women’s Player have been confirmed as England’s Beth Mead, Spain’s Alexia Putellas, who won it last year, and Alex Morgan.

The USWNT star is well-known around the world and has been strutting her stuff on and off the pitch for over a decade, gracefully adding to the sport known as The Beautiful Game. Despite her talent, and collection of silverware, Morgan is yet to win the vote for top female player, seeing compatriots Carli Lloyd and Megan Rapinoe lift the trophy in recent years along with other international greats. She has been in the running for the award before, one of the three candidates in 2019 but lost out to Rapinoe by just four votes. Could this be her year?

What are the Best FIFA Football Awards?

The Ballon d’Or was the individual awards ceremony, run by France Football, that captured the imagination each year, but FIFA executives have a penchant for glitz and glamour and set up their ‘Best’ version which has been going since 2016. Here’s how the organisation itself describes it.

‘The Best FIFA Football Awards annually honour the most outstanding members of the world’s most popular sport. They not only represent the game’s highest honour for coaches and footballers, but are a celebration in which football fans are recognised - and play a vital and active part ... with their votes helping to crown the best players and coaches in men’s and women’s football. The FIFA Fan Award was also given out for the first time to honour outstanding gestures from supporters.’

Alex Morgan: a global soccer star

Alex Morgan is a name that is synonymous with the women’s game. World-renowned, she has been a key member of the United States Women’s National Team for over a decade. A remarkable career has seen her win numerous trophies and awards and inspire countless young girls around the world to pursue their dreams of playing football at the highest level.

Born on July 2, 1989, in San Dimas, California, Morgan began playing at a young age. She quickly rose through the ranks and became a standout player in high school, earning numerous accolades and awards. In 2007, she joined the University of California, Berkeley, where she continued to excel and was named the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year.

From Flash to Sounders to USWNT

In 2011, Morgan was drafted first overall by the Western New York Flash in the Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) Draft. She played one season with the Flash before joining the Seattle Sounders Women in 2012. During her time with the Sounders, Morgan scored nine goals in 12 games and helped lead the team to the W-League championship. However, it was with the USWNT that Morgan really made her mark, making her debut for the national team in 2010 and quickly becoming a fan favourite.

Morgan has won two FIFA Women’s World Cup titles (2015, 2019), a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics, and a silver medal at the 2011 World Cup. She was also named the U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year in 2012 and 2018, and was awarded the Silver Boot at the 2019 World Cup for scoring six goals and providing three assists throughout the tournament.

In addition to her success on the field, Morgan is also a role model and advocate for women’s soccer. She has been a vocal advocate for equal pay for female soccer players and has used her platform to raise awareness about important issues such as gender inequality and mental health.

Women’s player of the year (all formats):

Year    Name    Country

2021    Alexia Putellas    Spain

2020    Lucy Bronze    England

2019    Megan Rapinoe    USA

2018    Marta    Brazil

2017    Lieke Martens    The Netherlands

2016    Carli Lloyd    USA

2015    Carli Lloyd    USA

2014    Nadine Keßler    Germany

2013    Nadine Angerer    Germany

2012    Abby Wambach    USA

2011    Homare Sawa    Japan

2010    Marta    Brazil

2009    Marta    Brazil

2008    Marta    Brazil

2007    Marta    Brazil

2006    Marta    Brazil

2005    Birgit Prinz    Germany

2004    Birgit Prinz    Germany

2003    Birgit Prinz    Germany

2002    Mia Hamm    USA

2001    Mia Hamm    USA