U.S. Women’s National Team forward Catarina Macario is joining the San Diego Wave, the club announced today.
ESPN reported that the contract, which runs through 2030, is worth roughly $8 million total. That would be the largest contract in the world for a women’s soccer player and marks the second known use of the NWSL’s new High-Impact Player Rule. The first was Trinity Rodman, who signed a three-year extension with the Washington Spirit. Rodman’s contract is reportedly worth more than $2 million per year.
ESPN reported that the Wave are paying Chelsea a $300,000 transfer fee for the attacker.
Macario has not played with Chelsea since December 2025 and USWNT coach Emma Hayes recently said that she was not available for selection due to her status on the club’s injury report. Macario tore her ACL in 2022 and has dealt with lingering pain in both her knee and heel, complicating recovery.
Since joining Chelsea in 2023, Macario has played 27 matches for the English side and scored seven goals. She played the two previous seasons with Lyon of Division 1 Féminine in France. She won three domestic league titles between the two clubs.
Although Macario has played her entire professional career overseas, she did play youth soccer in the San Diego area after moving from Brazil in 2011. She became a citizen in 2020 and won two NCAA championships at Stanford. Macario now has a total of 16 goals in 29 caps since debuting with the National Team in 2021.
Macario was in particularly fine form last year as the USWNT’s leading scorer, scoring eight goals in 10 matches and five in her last three.
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