USWNT forward Catarina Macario joins San Diego Wave in blockbuster move

Seth Vertelney, USA TODAYFri, March 27, 2026 at 2:01 PM UTC

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The San Diego Wave have announced the signing of U.S. women's national team forward Catarina Macario from Chelsea.

Macario joins the Wave on a contract through 2030, with the club using the NWSL's new High Impact Player Rule to make the move.

The Wave said that the 26-year-old's contract is among the largest women's soccer history.

San Diego will pay a reported $300,000 to land Macario immediately per ESPN, with the forward's Chelsea contract set to expire at the end of the season.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Cat home to San Diego,” said sporting director and general manager Camille Ashton. “Cat is a world-class player who has consistently performed at the highest levels of the game. She is an intelligent, technical and creative attacker with exceptional vision and composure in the final third.

"Her ability to unlock defenses and influence matches in multiple ways will further strengthen an already strong foundation as we continue building toward championship success. This signing reflects the ambition of our club and having a player of her caliber return to her hometown and represent San Diego makes this signing even more meaningful for our organization."

Catarina Macario, San Diego Wave FC

Macario will return to San Diego, where she moved as a 12-year-old in 2011 after spending the first part of her life in Brazil.

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“I’m really excited to join San Diego Wave FC and begin this next chapter of my career at home in San Diego,” said Macario. “This city has played such an important role in my journey, and the opportunity to come back and represent it means a lot to me.

"From my first conversations with the club, I felt the ambition and the vision for what we can accomplish together, including bringing trophies to this city. I’m grateful for the belief they’ve shown in me, and I can’t wait to get started and give everything for this team and my community.”

After a stellar college career at Stanford, Macario turned pro in 2021 and signed with French power Lyon. Macario scored in the 2022 Champions League final, helping Lyon to a European title before moving to Chelsea in 2023.

Macario's progress was stalled by a torn ACL she suffered in 2022, which kept her out the better part of two years.

But the forward came back strong with the USWNT in 2025, leading the team with eight goals in 10 matches.

Overall, Macario has 16 goals in 29 caps for the USWNT.

1 / 0NWSL action, goals, scenes and drama from 2026 seasonMarch 22: San Diego Wave FC's Laurina Fazer (left) and the Utah Royals' Cece Delzer battle for possession during the first half at America First Field. The San Diego Wave won the game, 2-1.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USWNT star Catarina Macario joins San Diego Wave from Chelsea

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