Deal breaker 'Rodman Rule' risks undermining what makes US women's league so appealing

Perhaps it was all worth it in the end.

- Jonathan Liew

Trinity Rodman's ability to convey the joy of the game in snackable morsels is the root of her appeal.

(PATRICK SMITH/ NWLS VIA GETTY IMAGES)

As a tearful Trinity Rodman signs the most lucrative contract in the history of women's football - flanked by the Washington Spirit owner, Michele Kang, and a young fan called Emma in pink braids - the internet is already burning white hot.After months of bungling US football finally has its money shot and, in more ways than one, the numbers are going to be stratospheric. But then Rodman has always been an effortless creator of content: a true footballer for the TikTok generation. From the spectacular strikes to the famous Trin Spin, from the vivid streaks in her hair to the viral goal celebrations, Rodman's ability to convey the joy of the game in snackable morsels is the root of her appeal. Aged 23 she already has an Olympic gold medal and 49 international caps, to which she can now add a £1.5m-a-year deal and her very own rule.

The “Rodman Rule”, which the National Women’s Soccer League is desperate for you not to call it, came in late last year. It allows clubs to pay over the salary cap for players that meet certain marketability criteria.

Perhaps this all seems very dry and distant. In reality, the Rodman deal lies on so many of the faultlines that will define the future of sport: a tale of hubris and declining prestige, organic versus injected growth, the magnetic appeal of the individual against the institutional pull of the team, and what exactly constitutes success in an increasingly lawless financial landscape. But first, a little Europoors discourse.