Catarina Macario’s future at Chelsea is increasingly uncertain after the USWNT star was left off the club’s Champions League squad and reportedly rejected a contract extension, according to multiple reports. Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor addressed the situation Thursday, stating Macario is currently unavailable due to injury and her status remains unclear.
The Guardian first reported last week that Macario had turned down a new contract offer from the Women’s Super League champions. Macario joined Chelsea in 2023 following a successful stint with Lyon, where she won the UEFA Women’s Champions League in her first full season. She has won four trophies with Chelsea, including two Women’s Super League titles, the FA Cup and the League Cup.
This season, however, has been marked by inconsistency for the 26-year-old midfielder/forward. While she emerged as Chelsea’s third-leading scorer during the 2024-25 season with 11 goals, she has yet to feature for the Blues in 2026 due to a heel injury. She has made 12 appearances across all competitions this season, scoring two goals in a Champions League match against St. Pölten.
Bompastor offered a cautious assessment of Macario’s condition during a press conference Thursday. “Cat is not available at the moment due to injury,” she said. “As you can see, she is not part of the team competing in the Champions League either. We’ll see. We evaluate Cat every week, to make sure she can play for us before the conclude of the season. I hope this will be the case, but today I don’t have the answer to this question.”
Macario’s contract with Chelsea is set to expire at the end of the current season, opening the possibility of a move to the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Her agent reportedly engaged in “preliminary talks” with Bay FC in December, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Interest from other European clubs is also anticipated, given Macario’s proven track record at the highest levels of the sport.
Prior to joining Chelsea, Macario enjoyed a decorated collegiate career at Stanford, winning two national championships and twice being awarded the Hermann Trophy. She has also earned 29 caps for the United States women’s national team, scoring 16 goals, and won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
The decision to exclude Macario from Chelsea’s Champions League squad further fuels speculation about her departure. With her contract nearing its expiration, Macario is now eligible to sign a pre-contract agreement with another club.