Magic Johnson and Alex Morgan join advisory board to boost growth of women’s soccer

The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) has announced a new advisory board featuring sporting legends such as Soccer World Cup winner Alex Morgan, basketball icon Magic Johnson, and baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr, to accelerate its growth.

The board, announced Thursday, comprises up to two investors from each NWSL club. Its objective is to expand partnerships and fortify the league's position in the competitive women's sports market.

Commissioner Jessica Berman stated: "When we looked across our clubs' investor base, we realised how fortunate we are to have such an extraordinary group of cultural icons, athletes, and leaders. Their experience and influence will be instrumental as we continue building not just a league, but a movement."

Morgan retired last year as one of the most decorated women’s soccer players ever. The 224-cap international lifted the World Cup twice with the USA in 2015 and 2019, respectively, while she also won an Olympic gold medal in 2012.

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Five-time NBA champion Johnson has also taken a keen interest in women’s soccer and bought an ownership stake in Washington Spirit last year.

Johnson is also part of an ownership group that bought the NFL’s Washington Commanders in 2023, while he has shares in Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers, WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks and Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles FC.

Other inaugural members on the advisory board include two-time Super Bowl winner Eli Manning (Gotham FC) and Olympic ski champion Lindsey Vonn (Utah Royals).

This comes as the NWSL prepares for further expansion, with Boston Legacy and Denver Summit joining in 2026, following successful additions in California like Angel City, San Diego Wave, and Bay FC.

However, the league faces stiff competition from established European football leagues and is still grappling with a widespread abuse scandal that engulfed it four years ago.