Veteran Spanish women’s football forward Esther Gonzalez, a 2023 World Cup winner and recent Euro 2025 runner-up with Spain, finds herself at the center of widespread controversy after confirming a high-profile move to Saudi Women’s Premier League club Al Qadsiah. The 33-year-old’s transfer came just weeks after she agreed to a mutual termination of her contract with defending National Women’s Soccer League champions Gotham FC, a move the club initially framed as a temporary break from professional football to address personal matters back in her home country of Spain.
When Gonzalez first announced her departure from the New York-based side, she emphasized that her choice was driven exclusively by strictly personal considerations, adding that Gotham FC would forever occupy a special place in her heart. Her contract with the NWSL club was not set to expire until 2027, making the sudden mutual termination all the more surprising. The forward had built an impressive legacy during her three seasons in the United States, claiming two NWSL championship titles, an NWSL Challenge Cup, and a Concacaf W Champions Cup trophy after moving to the league from Spanish giants Real Madrid.
But the veil of secrecy around her exit was lifted on Sunday, when Al Qadsiah officially announced the signing of the Spanish striker, immediately igniting fierce backlash from multiple groups. Gotham FC supporters have expressed deep disappointment over the misleading nature of the exit narrative, pointing out that the club missed out on collecting a transfer fee for the player due to the mutual termination agreement. Fans across social media have also questioned the forward’s true motivations for the sudden career shift.
Criticism has been particularly sharp from members of the global LGBTQ+ community, due to Saudi Arabia’s strict laws that criminalize same-sex relationships and sexual activity. Spanish news outlet El Mundo has reported that since finalizing the deal with Al Qadsiah, Gonzalez has removed all social media posts and photographs showing her with her wife and their first child, who was born in January this year. That reporting has only intensified calls for accountability and amplified public criticism of the transfer.
Gonzalez is far from the first high-profile footballer to face widespread condemnation for choosing to continue their career in Saudi Arabia. In 2023, England men’s midfielder Jordan Henderson drew fierce backlash after his move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq. Henderson, who had long positioned himself as an ally to the LGBTQ+ community – wearing rainbow laces during Premier League matches, sporting the pro-diversity One Love armband at international tournaments, and writing messages of solidarity for queer fans in matchday programs – received particular condemnation from openly gay English footballer Jake Daniels, who described the move as a “slap in the face” after he had received a public message of support from Henderson when he came out. Henderson ultimately left Al-Ettifaq after just six months at the club.
Al Qadsiah, the club that Gonzalez has now joined, finished fourth in the Saudi Women’s Premier League 2025-26 season. BBC Sport has reached out to Gotham FC to request an official statement on the recent developments, but no comment has been released as of yet.