National Women’s Soccer League star Trinity Rodman has signed a three-year, $2 million per year contract with the Washington Spirit, making her the highest-paid women’s soccer player in the world. 

Rodman’s next move has been in question since her free agency started at the end of the previous NWSL season in November. Due to the league’s salary cap, there were difficulties reaching a deal that would pay her what she is worth. 

Rodman and the Spirit originally reached an agreement in late November for a four-year contract worth $1 million per year. The league declined to approve it, as they felt it violated the “spirit” of the league’s rules. 

This led to the NWSL Players’ Association filing a grievance against the league on Rodman’s behalf. Then the league created the “high impact player” rule. It allows teams to spend up to $1 million over the salary cap – which is $3.5 million per team – for players who meet a specific rigorous criteria. 

Rodman was drafted by the Spirit in 2021 and has spent her whole career with the team. 

When her free agency started, many European teams expressed interest in her. The Spirit was concerned that lack of a salary cap in England’s Women’s Super League would attract Rodman, as it has for other stars, Naomi Girma and Alyssa Thompson. 

Rodman decided that DC is home for her, and she could not get that atmosphere anywhere else. The league and fans are thrilled about this, as she is arguably one of the league’s biggest stars. 

There is controversy, though, as Rodman is only making $2 million annually, while the highest-paid men’s soccer player, Cristiano Ronaldo, is making $280 million annually. This pay gap has always been an issue, and this deal brought more attention to the gap. 

Fans hope to see more female players getting paid what they are worth and a shrinking of that salary gap.