San Diego Wave FC in Advanced Talks to Sign Catarina Macario from Chelsea

omidbasir- San Diego Wave FC is currently the frontrunner to acquire Chelsea forward Catarina Macario, as reported by multiple sources to ESPN.

While no formal agreement has been signed, it is clear that San Diego is in advanced discussions to secure the U.S. international, who will soon be out of contract with Chelsea.

Sources have confirmed to ESPN that Macario has received several offers from European clubs, including Barcelona; however, her inclination is to return to the United States to be closer to her family.

Macario is enthusiastic about the prospect of competing in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) for the first time, with personal factors playing a significant role in her decision.

ESPN previously indicated that numerous NWSL clubs have shown interest in her services.

Should she join San Diego Wave, the 26-year-old would return to Southern California, where she spent her formative years after relocating from Brazil at the age of 12 in 2011. The Wave train near the facilities of Macario’s youth club, San Diego Surf, and she also played collegiate soccer at Stanford, close to where NWSL club Bay FC is located.

Macario’s contract with Chelsea is set to conclude this summer, a timeframe when she is likely to make her move. As per FIFA regulations, she is permitted to enter into a pre-contract agreement within six months of her current contract expiration.

To date, Macario has netted 16 goals in 29 appearances for the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT), with eight of those goals coming in just ten matches last year.

Having become a U.S. citizen in late 2020, she quickly became eligible to represent the USWNT, describing the opportunity as a ‘dream come true.’ Macario is anticipated to be a vital member of the USWNT as they aim for a fifth World Cup title in Brazil next year.

Turning professional with the eight-time European champions OL Lyon after an illustrious college career at Stanford, which included two national titles and two MAC Hermann Trophies, Macario also won the 2020-21 Champions League with Lyon.

She transferred to Chelsea in 2023 but spent much of her initial time in London recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury that kept her sidelined for 20 months. Despite facing recurring injuries at Chelsea, she maintained better health and availability in 2025, contributing to her team’s success in winning two WSL titles.

Reports have indicated that Macario declined a contract extension offer from Chelsea, as noted by The Guardian earlier this week.

Surprisingly, she was excluded from Chelsea’s Champions League squad in January due to injury issues, as mentioned by Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor during a press conference. “Cat is not available right now due to injury,” Bompastor stated. “We are assessing her every week to ensure she can play for us before the season concludes.”

Bompastor revealed that Macario was dealing with a heel problem in January. So far this season, she has participated in nine WSL matches and three Champions League games but has been out of action since early December.

Since her arrival at Chelsea, Macario has scored 15 goals in 59 appearances. While the WSL transfer window closed on February 3, the NWSL window remains open for incoming transfers until March 16.

This report includes contributions from ESPN writer Jeff Carlisle.