Jordan Morris heard the news that every professional soccer player hopes for on Wednesday: he was named to the final 26-man roster for the United States Men National Team ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
For Morris, this is a moment that was far from a given.
The Seattle Sounders homegrown standout is only one year removed from recovering from his second torn ACL of his career, which occurred while on loan in the English Championship with Swansea City, sidelining him for nearly the entire 2021 season. The USMNT was at the forefront of his mind during a lengthy and rigorous rehab process, with the knowledge that a strong return to the field with Seattle could help propel him back into the mix at the international level, and potentially for a World Cup spot.
"What drove me was that qualifying was going on at the time, but I knew the World Cup was going to be at the end of the following year," Morris explained to SoundersFC.com. "So much of what drove me to work hard and get back on the field as strong - and as soon as possible - was to try to get back with the group and be part of the national team heading to the World Cup because that's been my goal since I was a little kid."
"When I got hurt, one of my first thoughts was, 'I have enough time to get back in with the group and hopefully be part of the group going to Qatar.'" It definitely pushed me. Knowing that was on the horizon helped me with my rehab and helped me get stronger."
Fast forward to Wednesday, and all of that hard work has finally paid off. Morris will be present when the USMNT departs for Qatar to represent his country at the world's largest sporting event.
The road back was more difficult than he could have imagined as a wide-eyed student at Stanford University in 2014, in awe of sharing a locker room with childhood idols like Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey. Morris described the feeling of knowing he'll be playing on the same stage that made those players legends as "surreal."
"I've wanted to play in a World Cup since I was a little kid," Morris said. "I used to play in the back yard with my brother, pretending we were national team players competing in the World Cup." Every little kid who plays soccer grows up wanting to play in the World Cup. It's incredible that it's here, and to be a part of that team would be a dream come true."
The achievement comes after Morris returned from injury to record seven goals and four assists in 27 MLS games, as well as helping Seattle to its historic Concacaf Champions League title, for which he was named to the tournament's Best XI.
Morris, a Mercer Island native with well-documented hometown roots, said the support he received in Seattle, both from the Sounders and his inner circle, aided his successful return to the field.
"It's been amazing," he said. "I think having the confidence of playing in your hometown, in front of your friends and family, having your friends and family around and having that support group, especially after a couple of big injuries and the ups and downs of a career, is important." Having that support group, that net around you, has been extremely beneficial to me.
"But just having the opportunity to play and represent my hometown has been incredible." It's something I never take for granted when I step onto the field, and it's a tremendous honour."
With his roster spot secured, the focus will soon shift to the World Cup itself, where the Yanks will get to test themselves against some of the world's best players, beginning in the group stage, where the US has been drawn in Group B alongside Wales, England, and Iran.
"And just the chance to represent your country on a stage like that, to represent your family and everyone who has supported you, I think those are the thoughts that would be going through my head at the time." Every time I play a national team game, it's extra special because it means so much to me. It's not something I take for granted. I remember listening to the anthem for the first time before my first cap, and that feeling, I think it would be even stronger in a situation like that.