By OkayGoal 
Photo copyright Lucas Boland-Imagn Images
Esther González has found a new club just weeks after unexpectedly leaving Gotham FC, signing with Saudi Arabian side Al Qadsiah through 2027.
The 33-year-old Spanish forward’s move comes less than a month after she and Gotham mutually agreed to terminate her contract on July 27. At the time, Gotham said González was “temporarily [stepping] away from soccer to attend to personal matters in Spain,” adding that the club wished her and her family well as they returned home.
The announcement of her move to Saudi Arabia therefore comes as a surprise, particularly given how recently González departed Gotham and the messaging around her exit.
According to Jenna Tonelli, the move was not something Gotham appeared to anticipate when González departed:
The striker joined the club in 2023 shortly after winning the Women’s World Cup with Spain and quickly became an important part of Gotham’s resurgence.
She scored the game-winning goal in Gotham’s first NWSL Championship in 2023 and helped the club win another league title in 2025. González also played a key role in Gotham’s inaugural Concacaf W Champions Cup triumph and was a finalist for the 2025 NWSL MVP award.
She now joins an Al Qadsiah team coached by former Orlando Pride assistant Giles Barnes. The club finished fourth in the Saudi Women’s Premier League last season before appointing Barnes as its new head coach this summer.
González’s move also comes after she and her partner, Estefanía Cruz, welcomed their first child together in January. Her decision to continue her career in Saudi Arabia brings additional attention given that same-sex sexual activity is criminalized in the country.
