Alex Morgan on New Soccer Fields, Best Nike Ads, and Favorite Kicks

Alex Morgan has teamed up with CVS to build new, multi-use soccer fields across the country.

Alex Morgan at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. | AP Images courtesy of CVS

If not for Alex Morgan's dad dragging a pop-up goal across the street to a park to play soccer with her as a kid, the world would not have gotten the American sports icon. No Nike billboards, no sipping tea celebrations at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, and one less transformative figure to inspire girls everywhere.

Now, Morgan is paying it forward to a new generation. On Friday afternoon, Morgan joined local youth players in Washington, D.C. to help CVS officially announce Garfield Park Bridge Spot as the first community multi-use soccer field location in a new multi-year commitment designed to expand access to safe, high-quality places to play.

Alex Morgan with local soccer players in Washington, D.C. | AP Images courtesy of CVS

This program is a tangible commitment to community health and will bring additional community multi-use soccer field investments to cities nationwide through 2028. CVS Pharmacy has furthered its commitment to improving community health by becoming an Official Health and Wellness Partner of the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) and the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).

Sports Illustrated's Kicks On SI spoke with the NWSL legend, two-time Women's World Cup champion, Olympic gold medalist, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and mom about her CVS partnership and unmatched style.

How excited were you to be a part of this project to create more safe outdoor play spaces?

Yeah, it really is such a great collaboration between myself and CVS and also all of the levels of soccer in the US, Washington Spirit, and other clubs, the USL, US soccer, it's great to see everyone working together to increase the access and opportunity for kids to be able to play sports.

I've seen firsthand how it has impacted and shaped me as a person and who I am today. Now, as a mom, I'm seeing the impact it has on my kids and on our community.

So it really is so important to have that access. And I love what CVS is doing. I'm also doing that with my foundation, building mini pitches. So having this collaboration together to expand access for kids to be able to play sports in local spaces and their communities is really important.

Emeka Moneme, Sarah Gregorius, Melissa Schulman Alex Morgan, and Michele Kang. | AP Images courtesy of CVS

Did you provide any specific input on the fields/spaces?

Yeah, absolutely. I'm working with CVS right now on building out multisport spaces in California and some other areas. So we're in that phase of identifying spaces that would be great and impactful in communities. And then the execution phase will come soon after that.

So we're definitely working together to be able to identify the most important spaces right now that will be used and have an impact on health and community in the best way.

You have played all over the world. Do you have a favorite field from your career?

I just think about the fields that are just in pristine condition, the ball rolls perfectly, and one that you almost don't have to think about. You go out and play, and it almost becomes one with the ball and the game. So I don't know if there's like one specific, but I know Wembley in London is just a gorgeous stadium. It's right there in London.

There's so much passion that people bring to the match. I remember in London 2012, it was just packed, and the pitch was perfect. So that's definitely one that stands out. But there's a lot.

I could even think back to myself growing up and playing across the street, like dragging a pop-up goal across the street with my dad and training one-on-one with him. All growing up to get to the level that I eventually got to with the national team. But it all started kind of with those little moments with my dad.

Alex Morgan with her daughter at the CONCACAF W Gold Cup 2024. | IMAGO / Agencia-MexSport

This sounds like a full-circle moment. What can you tell us about the future of your CVS partnership?

One of the big things that I have identified, I hope I can share, but I don't know yet, is wanting to bring a multisport space to my hometown of Diamond Bar. That's something I have been really passionate about. We have focused on that with my foundation in San Diego. And so I'm looking forward to expanding, and that's one of the first locations that I have identified.

Switching gears to footwear, what shoes are you wearing casually this spring?

I really love my Nike Zoom Vomeros. Those are the most comfortable things that I wear when traveling and going throughout the day. So, that's definitely my go-to. I also love just a good Dunk, the Nike Dunk. I feel like that's probably 80% of my closet, to be honest. So, I'm up for good recs, but those are my two steadies.

Nike billboard in Los Angeles on May 7, 2019. | IMAGO / Newscom World

You have headlined a lot of Nike campaigns. Do you have a personal favorite?

Oh, man. That's a good question. I think back to 2019. It felt like a really pivotal moment for the US Women's National team. There was a lot going on. There was an active lawsuit. Our team was really dominant on the field.

Women's soccer was becoming more of a mainstay, and the fact that the access to watch women's soccer was becoming a lot easier. And so it just felt different at the lead-up to the World Cup.

Nike had a massive media event in a bigger way than they had ever had, and just to see all the media that showed up and how much excitement there was around our team going to the World Cup, and like showing off our uniforms for the first time. I remember just that day being a really exciting day for us because of all the effort put in and all the excitement around it.

Alex Morgan celebrates at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. | IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Last question: Who is your current favorite Nike athlete among active soccer players?

Oh, my current favorite Nike athlete. Hard to say, but I look at what A'ja Wilson is doing, and she always has like the next big shoe that's coming out. She's breaking records. It's cool to see the basketball players just having this aura around them, the confidence, and, obviously, the global recognition they're getting is awesome. It's really cool that she's been getting a lot of recognition that she deserves.