San Diego Wave FC forward Alex Morgan and defender Naomi Girma have been called up to represent the United States women’s national team in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup taking place in Australia and New Zealand.

Morgan won the 2022 NWSL Golden Boot and leads the team with five goals. Girma won the Rookie of the Year and Defender of the Year honors last season – the first player in NWSL to achieve such a feat. Girma made her senior debut with Team USA in April 2022.

Morgan made her debut with the national team in 2010 and has scored 121 goals with 49 assists in her 206 appearances for the USA. The 33-year-old California native also represented the United States on the 2011, 2015, and 2019 FIFA World Cup rosters, helping the national team win the title in 2015 and 2019.

The first match for both players will come on July 21 against Vietnam, followed by a rematch of the 2019 world cup final against the Netherlands on July 26, and a match versus Portugal on Aug. 1 in group stage competition.

Both players will be unavailable for the NWSL Challenge Cup matches versus the Portland Thorns, OL Reign, and Angel City taking place from July 21 to Aug. 5 with their expected return to be for the match against Orlando Pride on Aug. 25.

Photos courtesy: David Frerker