Wave sign former Chelsea striker Catarina Macario

Field Level Media|published: 03/27/2026, 11:42am EDT

Oct 29, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; USA midfielder Catarina Macario (20) kicks the ball during the first half of the match against New Zealand at CPKC Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kylie Graham-Imagn Images

The San Diego Wave announced the signing of former Chelsea striker Catarina Macario on Friday.

The 26-year-old U.S. Women's National Team veteran is signed through the 2030 NWSL campaign.

Macario, who was born in Brazil and starred at Stanford, played for youth teams while growing up in the San Diego area.

"It's amazing to see all of (my family's) sacrifices paying off. San Diego means so much to me. It's where I grew up," Macario said in a video released by the Wave. "It's where I became a young woman, where I learned to speak English and made lifelong friends. To be back here and actually represent the city and play for San Diego, it means a lot to me."

Since winning back-to-back MAC Hermann trophies as the national player of the year (2018-19) and leading Stanford to two NCAA championships (2017, 2019), Macario has played professionally in France (Lyon, 2021-23) and England (Chelsea, 2023-26).

Internationally, Macario has tallied 16 goals and five assists in 29 appearances with the USWNT since becoming an American citizen in 2020. She won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

--Field Level Media