Beating the retirement league allegations. Can the NWSL attract top international talent?
As the first country with a fully professional women’s football league, the United States is no stranger to attracting top talent from abroad. With the development of women’s football overseas, the landscape has changed as other leagues have emerged as attractive destinations for top talents. Today, the narrative often goes the other way, as many top talents from the NWSL have left for European leagues in recent seasons.
The NWSL does have a disadvantage against other leagues around the world, as its salary cap prevents clubs from paying players amounts that are competitive with what European clubs have to offer. Despite that, clubs in the league have found ways to draw in some of the best women’s footballers out there.
Most recently, Gotham FC announced the signing of multiple-time Ballon d’Or nominee Sam Kerr. Despite joining an already star-studded cast that includes global superstars like Rose Lavelle, Esther González, and Ann-Katrin Berger, which theoretically didn’t leave much room for Kerr’s salary, Kerr was enticed by the ambition of the club and the prospect of playing alongside these top talents.
The wave of European stars
Denver Summit FC also brought USWNT captain Lindsey Heaps back to the United States this season. Heaps, who had spent the past four-and-a-half seasons abroad at OL Lyonnes, is one of the top midfielders in the world.
The NWSL is also starting to see more European talents return to the league. Spanish defender Leila Ouahabi recently signed with Chicago Stars FC, and Italians like Sofia Cantore, Lucia Di Guglielmo, and Lisa Boattin have all made the trip over the Atlantic in the past year or so. Starters on several European national teams like Jess Carter, Esme Morgan, Kenza Dali, Ann-Katrin Berger, Guro Reiten, and Esther González have all joined the league in the past few years, marking a new era for the NWSL.
Home for many international stars
Although the NWSL has only recently been seeing European players return to the league, it has consistently been the premier destination for the best women’s footballers from North America, South America, Africa, and Asia. Top Brazilian players like Marta and Debinha have long called this league their home, and this legacy has continued through more recent signings like Amanda Gutierres, Dudinha, and Gabi Portilho. Canadian legend Christine Sinclair played her entire professional career in the United States, and current Canada captain Jessie Fleming is playing some of the best football of her life at the Portland Thorns. Two of the best players in the world in Barbra Banda and Temwa Chawinga chose the NWSL for the peak of their careers, and Japan’s past and present, from Yuki Nagasato to Manaka Matsukubo, have had careers in the US.
So while there is panic both inside and outside the league about not being able to retain or attract top talent from abroad, the NWSL still is one of the best competitions in the world from top to bottom with some of the most talented players in the world. Abolishing the salary cap will help clubs attract even more players as they will be able to offer salaries competitive with those in Europe, but even while the salary cap exists, clubs have their own creative ways of making sure that the league continues to be a top destination for the most talented women’s footballers in the world.
