Stanford soccer star Catarina Macario turns professional

We’ve officially seen the last of Catarina Macario suiting up for the Cardinal.

The 21-year-old announced Friday she is foregoing her final season of eligibility with Stanford and will be turning professional.

Macario departs Stanford having won NCAA titles in 2017 and 2019, and winning three straight Pac-12 Championships. The MAC Hermann award winner in 2018 and 2019, honoring the best NCAA soccer player, Macario has accomplished about all she can at the collegiate level.

As for where she is headed, it’s currently unclear. The NWSL will hold their annual college draft next week, but it’s unclear if Macario will enter the draft with the intention of playing in the top women’s pro league in the United States or if she will go abroad. Reading the tea leaves, it seems likely she is bound for a big contract at a European club.

Macario is considered a generational talent in women’s soccer and could become the next household name in the sport if she performs like the star she is already considered to be. She departs her time with Stanford a successful player and could become just the latest star to use Palo Alto as her launching pad.