For now, the NWSL teams don’t yet have the league-mandated resources to pay for the transfer fees that the top-end players at Europe’s elite clubs command, but they are starting to pluck young overseas talent they hope will turn into stars.

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Paul Kennedy edited Soccer America for 41 years (1985-2026). He began writing for SA in 1974. He started writing for France Football in 1978 and has served on in Ballon d'Or jury since 2007.