USWNT forward Catarina Macario injured her the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in a match with French club team Lyon and will miss World Cup qualifying next month.

Macario was injured 13 minutes into Lyon’s season finale Wednesday, a 4-0 victory over Issy. The 22-year-old was Lyon’s top scorer this season with 23 goals in 35 matches across all competitions.

The USWNT, the two-time defending World Cup champions, will play in the CONCACAF W Championship in Monterrey, Mexico, in July. The tournament determines the region’s four teams for the 2023 World Cup, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. It also serves as an Olympic qualifying tournament.

“Unfortunately, injuries are a natural part of football. Tearing an ACL is never easy, and although I am devastated to be away from the field and my teammates for a few months, I could not be more proud of my first year as a professional footballer and to have helped the team reconquer two big titles this season,” she said Sunday on a social media post.

Lyon announced that Macario will need surgery and she is expected to be sidelined for six months.

Lyon won the French league championship and the Women’s Champion’s League this year. Macario became the first American to score in a Champions League final when Lyon topped Barcelona 3-1 last month.

Macario has eight goals and two assists in 17 appearances for the United States.

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USWNT forward Catarina Macario tears ACL while playing with Lyon originally appeared on NBCSports.com



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