Catarina Macario seeking return to greatness after injury

MIAMI – With just a year of playing professional football, attacking midfielder Catarina Macario has made a name for herself, not only in the United States, but in the entire world in playing for one of the biggest clubs in Europe.

After winning the UEFA Women’s Champions League with eight-time champions Olympique Lyonnais in 2021-22, and being a key player on the field with nine goals in 13 Champions League games, Macario suffered a tear in her ACL last June, keeping her away from the game for the next six months.

This setback also included Macario missing the Concacaf W Championship earlier this year in Monterrey, in which the United States Women’s National Team crowned themselves as champions, earning a ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia/New Zealand, where they will try to defend the title.

It will all depend on how her journey back from injury develops, but one thing is for sure, Macario is one of the new pillars of the USWNT, proving her importance for the squad in the past, including two goals in three games at this year’s SheBelieves Cup, and how big of a deal it will be once she wears her national team jersey again.

Macario, who played at Stanford University before taking the leap into professional football, has demonstrated for years her quality on and off the pitch, placing herself as one of the promising young players in women’s football.

Earlier this week, Macario placed number nine in the world in the ranking of France Football, the French magazine that gives out the most prestigious individual award for a footballer, the Ballon d’Or. Alongside Trinity Rodman and Alex Morgan, Macario was the only North American nominated for this award, getting the highest ranking out of the three of them, sending a message of how much of an influence she is already is.

Now, as she continues her recovery from her ACL injury, North America, Europe and the rest of the world is keeping an eye on her, waiting for the date she will step onto the pitch again, to delight everyone with her game and continue to show why she plays for the best in the world.