The 21-year-old signed with Lyon this week and could now make her US debut on Monday against Colombia
FIFA has allowed Catarina Macario to represent the U.S. women’s national team in an international tournament, US Soccer has confirmed.
Macario, who was born in Brazil but moved to the United States at the age of 12, announced in October that she had become an American citizen and had petitioned FIFA to increase her eligibility for secure the USWNT.
The governing body has now accepted that request, meaning the 21-year-old phenom could make her USWNT debut on Monday in a friendly against Colombia. The U.S. will then face Colombia again in a friendly four days later.
“I want to thank everyone at US Soccer, past and present, for the opportunity and I really appreciate the literal years of work that have gone into to to do this, “Macario said in a statement.
“Now that I am allowed to play, it is up to me to show the coaches that I deserve to have been given schedules and playing time.
“Nothing is certain, and everything has to be earned, so it’s up to me to get my enthusiasm up to the required level and keep learning every day. Just to be in that situation a dream has come true and I will take nothing. it is permissible. “
Macario announced on Tuesday that she had signed a two-and-a-half year deal with European champions Lyon after announcing earlier this month that she would cancel her final year of college at Stanford to be professional.
The forwards chose not to sign with the Women’s National Football League, where she would almost certainly be the first overall pick in Wednesday’s draft.
Macario, however, said later Tuesday that she still plans to play in the NWSL in the future.
“I’d like to play in the NWSL one day and I know that will happen,” Macario told reporters. “I’m not really sure when but obviously as an American it’s my dream to play where I live so I will definitely return. “
Macario has grown into one of the most promising prospects to come out of the U.S. in recent years, having won the Hermann Cup as the best U.S. collegiate player in back years.