Naomi Girma, a defender for the U.S. women’s national team, joined English champion Chelsea from San Diego Wave FC to become the first million-dollar player in women’s soccer history. The 24-year-old agreed to a four-and-a-half-year contract with the Blues for approximately £900,000 ($1.1 million), the BBC reported.
Last year, Zambian forward Racheal Kundananji paid $780,000 to join Bay FC from Madrid CFF, setting a new transfer fee record. With Girma’s acquisition, Chelsea has now broken the record three times. In 2020, they paid $355,000 for Pernille Harder, and in 2024, they paid $542,000 for Mayra Ramírez.
This should not be shocking to women’s soccer fans. Many people consider Girma to be among the world’s top defenders, if not the best. She has established herself as a generation-defining star for the U.S. Women’s National Team, known for her grace, composure and leadership, and she played a key role in the United States’ gold medal at the 2024 Olympic Games.
Before Girma became a standout professionally, she was a standout for Stanford. As a freshman, she started almost every game, and a year later, she would lead the Cardinal to their third national title. After receiving numerous All-American, All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 Defender of the Year awards, San Diego’s selection of Girma with the first overall pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft was the only choice.
Girma would continue her success in the professional ranks, winning NWSL Rookie of the Year and Defender of the Year in her debut season. She won another NWSL Defender of the Year title and assisted the Wave in winning an NWSL Shield and a Challenge Cup over the following two seasons.
Naomi Girma was born June 14, 2000, in San Jose, California, to Ethiopian immigrant parents. Raised in a tight-knit Ethiopian American community, she grew up embracing both her cultural heritage and a passion for soccer. She and her brother played youth soccer with local clubs before joining Stanford University, where she became a standout defender. Her upbringing and diverse background have shaped her into a leader both on and off the field.
