The San Diego Wave have won the Catarina Macario sweepstakes, reportedly signing the Chelsea forward to a five-year contract, per Sportico.
Macario will reportedly earn $8 million in guaranteed money on the deal, which runs through 2030. The contract is believed to be the largest in total value in women’s pro soccer, per Sportico, and includes a signing bonus and additional incentives.
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Macario was linked to the Wave last month, with ESPN indicating that San Diego had become the frontrunner in a race to bring the forward to the NWSL.
The U.S. women’s national team star is expected to join the Wave immediately, with San Diego reportedly paying a $300,000 transfer fee to Chelsea to trigger her release. Chelsea has six games remaining in the Women’s Super League season, and currently sits in third place.
Born in Brazil, Macario later chose to play for the United States at an international level despite also being eligible to play for the Brazilian national team. With this trade, Macario returns to San Diego, where she lived as a teenager while pursuing a soccer career.
This story will be updated.
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