USWNT star Macario leaves Chelsea for San Diego Wave

United States forward Catarina Macario has left Chelsea to join the San Diego Wave, signing a record-breaking contract for a NWSL player.

Macario, who relocated from Brazil to San Diego as a child and spent part of her youth career with the San Diego Surf, has penned a four-year deal with the Wave.

She will reportedly earn a record-breaking $2m per season, with San Diego activating the NWSL’s new high-impact player rule to pay the 26-year-old above the salary cap.

Macario, who is currently sidelined with a foot injury, spent three years at Chelsea and scored 12 goals in 49 appearances for the Blues after joining from Lyon.

She had been strongly linked with an exit after entering the final six months of her contract with Chelsea, and was delighted to return to a city that had played such a prominent role in her development.

“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,” Macario said in a statement.

“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.”

number 20 is HERe pic.twitter.com/148FctmsUa

— San Diego Wave FC (@sandiegowavefc) March 27, 2026

San Diego Wave sporting director and general manager Camille Ashton added: “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 defences and influence matches in multiple ways will further strengthen an already strong foundation.”

Macario was the USA’s leading scorer in 2025 with eight goals in 10 appearances for Emma Hayes’ team, taking her to 16 goals in 29 caps for her country.