NWSL
Swanson signs NWSL-record contract: how much will Red Stars ace earn?
USWNT forward Mallory Swanson has been given the longest, most lucrative contract in NWSL history, the 25-year-old committing to the Red Stars until at least 2028.
Chicago Red Stars forward Mallory Swanson has agreed the most lucrative contract ever in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), signing a contract extension worth a reported $2m.
Longest contract ever signed in NWSL
The USWNT international, 25, has penned a four-year Red Stars agreement, with the option for a fifth season - the first time in the American league’s history that a player has been handed a contract of this length.
Previously, Mexico’s María Sánchez had boasted the most expensive contract in the NWSL, having signed a three-year, $1.5m deal with the Houston Dash in December.
CBS Sports has reported that Swanson is to earn a yearly salary of over $400,000, taking the value of her contract to around $2m over the course of its potential five-year duration.
Swanson, who joined Chicago from Sky Blue FC (now NJ/NY Gotham FC) in December 2020, said: “I am excited to be back with the Red Stars! These last few years have been such a blessing in Chicago, even with the ups and downs, and I can’t wait to be back.
“I am looking forward to getting to work and helping the team win championships.”
Swanson’s Red Stars, USWNT stats
In 51 appearances for the Red Stars, Swanson has scored 18 goals and supplied 10 assists. The team made the NWSL playoffs in her first two seasons in Illinois - reaching the championship game in 2021 - but with the Colorado native sidelined by an early-season knee injury last term, Chicago finished bottom of the 2023 regular-season standings.
The injury also ruled Swanson out of the USWNT squad for last year’s Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, where the four-time global champions suffered a last-16 exit - their earliest ever elimination from the tournament.
Capped a total of 88 times since her international debut in 2016, Swanson has scored 32 times and provided 27 assists for the USWNT, and was part of the Stars and Stripes’ World Cup-winning squad in 2019.
Chicago chief welcomes return of “born leader”
“The Red Stars could not be more excited that Mallory Swanson has decided to extend her career with us here in Chicago,” said Red Stars president Karen Leetzow said.
“Mallory exemplifies the grit, focus and resiliency of our franchise and is an anchor for this team. Mal is a born leader on and off the field and I look forward to working with her to make the Red Stars a championship team.”