USWNT star Catarina Macario signs 10-Year Nike deal

American athletic footwear and apparel corporation Nike has signed a 10-year sponsorship deal with USWNT star midfielder Catarina Macario – making her one of the highest-paid players in women’s football.

On Tuesday, Nike announced that Macario, who was born in Brazil but moved to the U.S. at age 12 and went on to become the first naturalised citizen to compete for the American national team, would join its roster of football ambassadors, replacing Adidas as her shoe and apparel sponsor.

After signing a multi-year deal with German manufacturer Adidas in 2023 – where she debuted as the face of the Adidas x Prada football boot collection – this Nike deal cements her status as one of the sport’s highest-paid players.

As reported by Forbes, between a signing bonus and annual payments, the deal is set to pay Macario US$10 million over 10 years, with options in the final two years of the contract, according to a source familiar with the arrangement. The 25-year-old can also increase this figure through incentives and royalties tied to signature products.

Between the Nike partnership and her contract with Chelsea — which Forbes estimates is worth roughly US$1 million annually — Macario is set to collect at least US$2 million during the 2025/26 season.

In recent years, Nike was also responsible for another landmark contract in women’s football, when it lured Norwegian star Ada Hegerberg away from Puma in 2020 with a reported US$1.1 million deal over 10 years. Since then, endorsements have only grown more lucrative for female athletes.