Why did Paul Morphy never play Wilhelm Steinitz?

Answer 1

They never played because they were not contemporaries.

Paul Morphy had a brilliant but short Chess career. He played from 1857 to 1860, when he retired from active play against the top competition, unofficial second world chess champion after Anderssen Adolf. After that, he played casually and in demonstrations playing well blindfolded against many people at the same time.

Steinitz did not emerge as a chess power until 20 years later in the 1880s. He became the first official champion in 1886.

Steinitz actually met Morphy in New Orleans, but the conditions Morphy set for the meeting were that they could talk about anything except chess. When Maurian delivered Morphy's message to Steinitz, Morphy told him to tell Steinitz that "His gambit (the Steinitz gambit in King's Gambit) is entirely unsound." This shows that Morphy was familiar with Steinitz's games, but he had already given up playing chess with all but his life-long friend Maurian.

The most Morphy ever played blindfold at one time was ten, many times it was eight.

Nobody ever dared call himself World Chess Champion while Morphy lived. The title was created after Morphy died.