After finally returning to the pitch for the U.S. Women’s National Team, Catarina Macario will miss the 2024 Paris Olympics. The 24-year-old forward is withdrawing from the Olympic roster after suffering minor knee irritation, USWNT head coach Emma Hayes announced in a news conference Friday.
Veteran USWNT forward Lynn Williams, who was named as an alternate, will fill Macario’s spot. Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams has been named as an alternate. Williams and Sams received official approval as roster replacements from the IOC, USPOC and FIFA on Friday afternoon.
Hayes made the announcement ahead of a pair of Olympic sendoff friendlies, the first of which takes place in New Jersey’s Red Bull Arena on Saturday.
During today’s pre-match press conference, Emma Hayes announced that Catarina Macario is unable to prepare physically for the Olympic tournament due to consistent irritation in her right knee » https://t.co/EtaiwfJ6py
Pending official confirmation from the USOPC, IOC and FIFA,… pic.twitter.com/k7Uowy7fHM
— U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (@USWNT) July 12, 2024
Macario, a young and dynamic attacking player, suffered a torn ACL in June 2022 while playing for French club Lyon and took more than a year and a half to return to the pitch. Her recovery also caused her to miss the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Macario made her return to the USWNT roster in March.
In a post on social media, Macario said she was “gutted” to miss the Olympics and a chance to represent the U.S. “I will be supporting the team every step of the way and the girls are ready,” Macario wrote.
Gutted to have to withdraw from the Olympic roster and not be able to represent Team USA. I will be supporting the team every step of the way and the girls are ready ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Kb6lFhLh5L
— Catarina Macario (@catarinamacario) July 12, 2024
At the news conference, Hayes, who is also Macario’s former head coach at Chelsea, echoed Macario’s sentiments and said that she was “absolutely gutted” that Macario had to withdraw. Hayes added that Macario trained recently, but that she will not recover in time for the Olympics.
Macario will now travel back to her club for additional recovery.
Born in Brazil, Macario was eligible to play internationally for the United States and Brazil, but chose the U.S. She received her first call-up for the USWNT in October 2020 and earned her first cap in a friendly against Colombia on Jan. 18, 2021. Macario has eight goals in 19 appearances with the team.
The Olympics would have been an opportunity for Macario to finally establish herself as part of the USWNT’s young and upcoming core, but her chance to showcase her talent in an international competition will have to wait.
