Esther González Signs with Al Qadsiah After Leaving Gotham FC

Last month, the unexpected exit of Spanish forward Esther González from Gotham FC turned even more interesting on Sunday, when it came to light that she has already found a new team.

González has signed with Al Qadsiah, a club in the Saudi Women’s Premier League, after Gotham announced in July that she was leaving the NWSL team to “attend to personal matters in Spain.”

The news of her signing with a new club just weeks after her departure from Gotham has caught many off guard, especially since she was a finalist for the NWSL MVP in 2025.

When Gotham shared the details of the “mutual contract termination,” they offered well-wishes to her and her family as she returned to Spain. There was a certain tone in their messaging that suggested they expected her not to play for some time, certainly not to join another team so soon.

González joined Gotham in 2023, right after playing a key role in helping Spain clinch the World Cup that year. During her tenure, she secured two NWSL titles and was under contract through the 2027 season when she left.

She made a significant impact by scoring the decisive goal in the 2023 NWSL final and netting 13 goals in the 2025 regular season, contributing to Gotham’s second league championship. She also participated in securing the inaugural Concacaf W Champions Cup in 2025.

Yael Averbuch West, Gotham’s president of soccer operations, remarked last month that González was “a model professional on and off the field.”

At the time of her departure, González expressed that Gotham would “always hold a very special place in my heart.” As for the club’s current response, there’s been no public comment; they were focused on their game in Los Angeles on Sunday.