Midfielder Lindsey Horan and forward Alex Morgan will serve as co-captains of the United States women’s national team for the 2023 World Cup, head coach Vlatko Andonovski announced Friday.
Becky Sauerbrunn was the previous captain of the USWNT, but she will miss the month-long tournament in New Zealand and Australia due to a foot injury. Andonovski selected Horan and Morgan as the team’s captains because of their “vast experience in big games.” Horan will wear the armband when they are both on the field.
“We have a lot of leaders on this team among the young players and the veteran players, and among those, Lindsey and Alex… understand what it takes to win at the highest levels,” said Andonovski. “They are ultimate professionals and understand all the factors that go into having a united and motivated team. I know they will represent us well on and off the field at the World Cup.”
The World Cup begins on July 20.
Morgan, 34, made her first of three World Cup appearances with the USWNT in 2011 and won back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2019. Morgan also won a gold medal with the national team at the 2012 Olympics and a bronze at the 2020 Olympics. She co-captained the USWNT from 2018 to 2020 alongside Carli Lloyd and Megan Rapinoe.
Morgan has made 206 appearances for the national team and scored 121 goals, the fifth-most in USWNT history.
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This will mark the second World Cup for Horan, who made her World Cup debut in 2019. She also won a bronze medal with the USWNT at the 2020 Olympics. The 29-year-old has also served as a captain before, most recently during the team’s 1-0 win over Japan at the 2023 SheBelieves Cup in Nashville.
Horan has made 128 appearances for the national team and scored 27 goals.
“I think it was always a dream and goal of mine to just be a consistent player with the national team, but also to be a leader. And now to wear the captain’s armband is truly an honor, especially here with Alex,” Horan said. “Going into this tournament I think there’s just a new responsibility for me. It’s not just focusing on me and making sure I’m my best every single day for this team, but also me and Alex making sure that everyone is prepared and ready.”
