Catarina Macario has finalized a move from Chelsea to the San Diego Wave, marking her return to the United States after a successful stint in Europe.
The San Diego Wave secured the services of Catarina Macario this month, reaching an agreement with Chelsea prior to the expiration of her current contract. The franchise reportedly paid a transfer fee of approximately $300,000 to bring the player back to the United States.
This transaction concludes Macario's time competing in Europe, where she represented both Chelsea in England and Lyon in France. During her overseas tenure, she delivered notable offensive output:
The move represents a homecoming for the athlete, who has deep ties to the region. Macario previously developed her skills with the San Diego Surf youth club. She later attended Stanford University, where she demonstrated prolific scoring ability by finding the net 63 times over 69 collegiate matches.
While she is anticipated to become a central figure for the Wave, Macario's physical fitness remains an area of observation for both her new club and the United States Women's National Team. Past physical setbacks have interrupted her playing time, most notably an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear that forced her to miss the 2023 Women's World Cup. Away from the pitch, she continues to maintain a lucrative sponsorship agreement with Nike.
