The smile of the most expensive signing in women’s football: a brilliant scientist, a past with the civil war and a medal for history

01/26/2025

Updated at 6:06 p.m.

Still far from the figures that move in men’s football, football played by women continues to break down walls that until recently seemed insurmountable. The last one has been the most expensive signing of the women’s soccera milestone that not only demonstrates the recognition and affection for the soccer quality of the players, but also the commitment of the clubs to promote this sport.

Naomi Girmaone of the great promises of American soccer broke the million euro barrier for the first time in history. He Women’s Chelseaa regular in big transfers, signed the defender and Olympic gold with USA last summer at the Paris Games, for a million-dollar amount. A figure that far exceeds the previous big transfer, which was the sale of Racheal Kundananji, one of the most outstanding players in the F League, who went from Madrid CFF to Bay FC for 735,000 euros.

«I am very happy and really excited to be here. “It doesn’t seem real,” said the American defense of the San Diego Wave and of Ethiopian roots, after signing for the London club.

Chelsea, undefeated this season in the English championship, leads the standings with a 9-point advantage over Manchester City after twelve rounds played and is one of the main rivals in the Champions League of the last winner, Barcelona.

Chelsea’s head of women’s football, Paul Green, highlighted that Girma, 24, is “a world-class defense”. «He is in the best years of his career. Naomi has showcased her talent in the NWSL, where she has won several individual awards, and has been lavish in the international scene with the United Stateswhere this summer he won the gold medal at the Olympic Games. There is no doubt that she is ready to take the next step in her career and we are delighted that it is with Chelsea,” he noted.

The soccer player, who played absolutely every minute of her country’s victorious Olympic campaign in Paris, after being named best player of the year by US Soccer, was drafted number 1 in the NWSL 2022 draftwhen he joined the San Diego Wave.

The transfer of Naomi Girma is much more than a sporting move, and can be seen as a strong message about the advancement of women’s football.

Ethiopian and American roots for the defense of millionaire Chelsea

The story of the young soccer player born in 2000 in California, USA, begins in Ethiopia, the country of origin of his parents. His father escaped from his country in the early 1980s, in the middle of the civil war, while his mother arrived in the country to study and later work in different jobs.

In San José, Naomi’s father, whom the UN sent with refugee statusfounded a soccer school for Ethiopian children, Maleda Soccer Youth Clubwhich awakened the passion for football in the young woman, currently one of the best defenders on the planet.

“I think it really made me appreciate community and family,” Girma notes in The Guardian. “I feel like it’s really important in Ethiopian culture and not always as important in American culture, so it was definitely something my parents wanted to make sure was ingrained in us from the beginning.”

An intelligent humble student involved with mental health

With his football skills he managed to a scholarship to study at Stanfordone of the most prestigious universities in the world.

She became captain of the team that won the women’s university cup in 2019, professional and international opportunities came to her, but she did not forget her studies, and graduated in Management Sciences and Engineeringwhich according to the description in the website of the aforementioned universitysays that it is a field that unites “mind and machine”, integrating concepts from psychology with artificial intelligence. A brilliant scientist at the heart of Chelsea’s defence.

She was selected No. 1 overall in the 2022 National Women’s Soccer League draft by the San Diego Wave, and was named American League Rookie of the Year and Defender of the Year in her first season. The athlete is involved in different causes off the playing fields: she led the American team in a campaign of the NGO Common Goal -founded by Spanish footballer Juan Mata – to promote mental health care.

“I don’t think I’ve met anyone as good as her,” said Casey Stoney, Girma’s coach at San Diego Wave FC and current Canada coach, of soccer player. “Humility is something important for her, but I try to make her realize how good she is at the same time,” said the British coach.