0:56
- family
- July 8, 2022
Toddler catches the eye of soccer star Alex Morgan
The star forward took time to meet and surprise her biggest fan this week.
0:56
Morgan scored two goals during the first half of the USA-Haiti match, helping to lead the U.S. to a 3-0 victory.
In all the excitement, the star player still found time to give a shout-out to Luca for pumping the team up.
\"Is this not the most adorable thing you’ve ever seen? The shirt! The cheer! Cuteness overload,\" she said in a TikTok response, sharing Jackson's video.
\"His name's Luca. Luca, you'd be besties with Charlie, and tomorrow you have something coming your way so be on the lookout,\" she added, referencing her own 2-year-old daughter, Charlie Elena.
\"Luca just gained a fan🥰,\" Morgan captioned the post.
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/GMA/luca-jackson-alex-morgan-ht-jt-220708_1657317373803_hpMain_4x3t_384.jpg\")
Jackson later shared the TikTok to her Twitter account, writing, \"From mom to mom thank you @alexmorgan13!!\"
Morgan quoted Jackson's tweet, writing above it, \"You're so welcome! I think I can speak for everyone when I say Luca made my day🙌.\"
Sure enough, as Morgan promised, Luca received a very special present not long after. The USWNT Twitter account shared a video clip Thursday of the boy getting surprised with a new no. 13 jersey -- Morgan's number -- signed by the star herself.
Sorry, @TedLasso… Luca’s got a new shirt tonight!@alexmorgan13 keeps her promises 💙❤️ https://t.co/UIVbm8CNQc pic.twitter.com/YiyBVryKqU
— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) July 7, 2022
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/GMA/luca-jackson-01-ht-jt-220708_1657317867475_hpEmbed_3x4_384.jpg\")
In the video, Luca thanked Morgan for his gift and blew a couple of kisses, too.
In a follow-up Instagram post Thursday, Jackson opened up about her little boy and said it was \"surreal\" to see her toddler, who had been born with three congenital heart defects and at one point could \"barely catch a breath,\" cheer for his favorite player.
\"He is so full of joy and life and I can't believe the amount of people who messaged me saying Luca made their day. It made me tear up to know how many hearts he touched and that in the middle of so many devastating news he was able to bring some light,\" Jackson wrote in part.
Speaking with \"GMA,\" she added that Luca \"was born with multiple congenital heart defects, and had to undergo open-heart surgery at two weeks of life.\"
\"We think part of him knows that he almost didn’t make it, which is why he has such a passion for life and an amazing spirit,\" she said. \"He makes everyone smile, as this viral experience has shown!\"
Luca was eventually able to meet the star player following the team's game against Jamaica on July 7.
\"After the game, Alex came over to our section and Luca held his arms out to her,\" Jackson told \"GMA.\" \"She took him in her arms on the field and posed for pictures.\"
Morgan even walked away with her own special gift: a big hug from Luca himself.
The USWNT has already won the first two of their match-ups at the CONCACAF W Championship against Haiti and Jamaica, and is in prime position to win the title entirely.
On Thursday, the team qualified for a spot in the upcoming 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which will be held in Australia and New Zealand.
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