Who are the highest paid women’s soccer players? Rodman, Macario, Bonmati, Putellas...

The recent NWSL transfer window produced two of the biggest deals on record. Trinity Rodman signed a lucrative three-year extension with the Washington Spirit and Chelsea‘s Catarina Macario is heading to San Diego - deals which will make them the highest‑paid female players in history.

Rodman’s situation in Washington was one of the reasons behind the sudden salary hike we have witnessed in the women’s game. She agreed a four-year contract worth $1.1 million back in 2022 making her the highest-paid player in the game at the time. But as the end of her contract neared, Rodman would have been able to negotiate an even bigger salary as a free agent.

The High Impact Player Rule, also known as the Rodman Rule, was introduced in December 2025 specify designed to stop NWSL players from leaving to join other leagues without a salary cap restriction. Just 10 years ago, the salary cap stood at $278,000 in the the National Women’s Soccer League. Today, it is $3.3 million - a huge increase but still dwarfed by what men earn.

Rodman tops the top earners list

In the end, Rodman decided to stay where she is. She signed a signed a 3-year extension with the Washington Spirit In return, she saw her average annual salary rise to $2 million under the new HIP rule.

Catarina Macario will take home even more with her move to San Diego Wave. The deal, which runs through 2030 is believed to be worth around $8 million.

The top earner in Europe is Barcelona Femeni and Spain captain Aitana Bonmatí. The three-time Ballon d’Or Féminin winner agreed a contract extension in September 2024, taking her annual salary up to around $1 million, making her the best paid female player in the world at the time.

Next on the list is Sophia Wilson who exercised the player option in her existing contract with Portland Thorns. Details of the two-year extension have not been disclosed but it is believed the USWNT forward now earns $1 million per year.

Aitana’s teammate and another Ballon d’Or Féminin winner Alexia Putellas is fourth after securing a two-year agreement with Barcelona in September 2024. Alexia had initially held out for a three-year extension but an extra two years boosted her annual income to $760,000.

Occupying fifth place (for now), is Chelsea and Australia star Sam Kerr. She added another two-years onto her contract with the Blues in June 2024. Her deal, which expires this year, sees her take home $590,000 - not including income from sponsorship deals with Nike amd MasterCard.

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