NWSL Shakes Up Salary Cap as Global Transfers Rumor Mill Heats Up
Today's women's soccer headlines are dominated by notable player movement and league-altering regulatory changes. NWSL teams appear eager to bring U.S. star Catarina Macario back from Chelsea, with reports signalling strong transfer interest in the forward—a potential major acquisition if realized. The league is also shifting its financial landscape, introducing a controversial new rule allowing clubs to pay stars up to $1 million above the salary cap, despite opposition from the players' union. This move could dramatically impact team rosters and competitive balancing going forward.
Elsewhere, European women's soccer is in flux. In Germany, several of the country's biggest women's clubs have distanced themselves from the DFB (German FA), attributing the decision to stagnation and a lack of progress in developing the domestic women's game. And on the international circuit, clubs are recognizing departing contributors, with Merel van Dongen receiving a heartfelt sendoff from Rayados, underlining how valued professionals continue to shape the landscape on and off the pitch.