The 2023 Women's World Cup is just two weeks away and the U.S. women's national team have two new captains in midfielder Lindsey Horan and forward Alex Morgan. The duo were named by USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski ahead of the tournament. The decision comes after the recent roster announcement did not include former captain Becky Sauerbrunn who is out due to a foot injury.
The duo were both members of the 2019 World Cup-winning squad, with Morgan previously representing the U.S. in 2011 and 2015 competitions. When Horan and Morgan are on the field at the same time, Horan will wear the armband.
"We have a lot of leaders on this team among the young players and the veteran players, and among those, Lindsey and Alex have vast experience in big games, and they 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 lingering question of who would captain the team has been prevalent since the announcement of the final 23-player roster. The discussion followed the team during their time in California at media day last month, where Andonovski had said a decision had been made but could not share it publicly at the time since it had not yet been discussed internally.
He emphasized the team had no shortage of leadership options, previously name-dropping Morgan, Horan, and Megan Rapinoe as examples. Alyssa Naeher, Kelley O'Hara, and Crystal Dunn are also players who have been with the USWNT for years and have won prior World Cups. The squad has a unique opportunity to compete for a fifth title, their potential third consecutive, and American supporters, analysts, and pundits made their own cases for who should captain the most diverse team in the women's national team history.
The decision has now been made, with Morgan and Horan being the faces of leadership moving forward. Morgan, 34, and Horan, 29, have recently captained the team during the 2023 SheBelieves Cup tournament. The USWNT won the competition and earned their sixth title, a fourth alongside Andonovski.
There have been 18 different players throughout the program's history to have donned the armband. While other players have worn the captain's band for the team during a match, there have also been players who have worn the armband during games where they were honored for earning a milestone 100th or 200th cap.
Fans will get a look at the two captains in a World Cup send-off match on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET. The USWNT will face Wales in San Jose, Calif., before heading off to New Zealand. The team is part of Group E, with Netherlands, Portugal, and Vietnam. Group play will take place entirely in New Zealand, and the U.S. will open their World Cup against Vietnam on July 21 at Eden Park in Auckland.
