Cat Macario secures historic NWSL contract with San Diego
United States forward Catarina Macario has signed with San Diego Wave FC ahead of the NWSL’s transfer window, reportedly securing the largest total contract value in women’s soccer history, as confirmed by sources to ESPN.
Macario’s agreement with the Wave extends through the 2030 NWSL season, with an estimated total contract value of around $8 million.
Multiple sources have verified that Macario will join the Wave immediately via a transfer from Chelsea for approximately $300,000, where her contract was due to expire this summer. The NWSL’s transfer deadline is set to close at midnight on Monday.
ESPN indicated last month that San Diego was leading the pursuit to sign Macario. Sportico was the first to report the completed transfer and contract value.
The Wave will utilize the NWSL’s new High Impact Player rule to compensate Macario. This rule, ratified by the NWSL’s board of governors in December and contested by the NWSL Players Association, permits teams to pay prominent players from a fund of up to $1 million outside the salary cap if certain criteria are met.
The NWSL team salary cap for 2026 is set at $3.7 million after adjustments for revenue sharing.
San Diego also discussed the possibility of Macario joining the team in the summer upon the conclusion of her contract at Chelsea. Due to injuries, Macario has not played for Chelsea recently, and with her contract nearing expiration and the NWSL season already in progress, a transfer at this time was deemed logical, sources stated.
San Diego commenced the NWSL season on Saturday with a 1-0 defeat against the Houston Dash. Macario’s contract is valued at approximately $2 million in average annual value.
USWNT forward Trinity Rodman signed a new contract with the Washington Spirit in January, worth over $2 million annually, including bonuses, making her the highest-paid player globally on an annual basis.
Rodman’s contract spans three years and runs through 2028.
Macario spent part of her childhood in San Diego after relocating with her family from Brazil.
ESPN reported in February that returning home and playing in the NWSL for the first time significantly influenced Macario’s decision. She received offers from other European clubs, including Barcelona, but chose San Diego for personal reasons.
The Wave train in proximity to the fields where Macario played youth soccer. Her family moved to San Diego in 2011 when she was 12 years old.
Macario became a U.S. citizen in late 2020 and subsequently became eligible for the USWNT. She expressed that it was a “dream come true” to have the chance to represent the United States.
She is anticipated to play a crucial role in the USWNT squad competing for a fifth World Cup title in Brazil next year, having netted 16 goals in 29 appearances for the USWNT, with eight of those goals coming in 10 matches last year.
