A current World Cup champion is coming to the NWSL.
Spain forward Esther González has signed with NJ/NY Gotham FC, with the club announcing that the 30-year-old has signed a contract running through the 2025 NWSL season (along with a “mutual option” for 2026).
“I am excited and honored to join Gotham FC, one of the top clubs in the NWSL,” said Gonzalez. “As I continue my journey in football, I look forward to my next challenge in a competitive league where I will face the best players in the world in every game.”
González’s arrival isn’t that much of a surprise, as Gotham captain Ali Krieger effectively announced the move on a Men in Blazers watch-along during the World Cup.
González comes to Gotham from Real Madrid, where she scored 39 goals in two seasons. That total makes her the all-time leading goalscorer for the club’s women’s team, which officially came online in 2020.
With Spain, González has 42 caps, scoring 26 times. González captained Spain in two games at the World Cup, scoring against Costa Rica in the group stage.
“[González] is clinical in and around the box, and the weight of her experience accompanied with her skillset will provide a tremendous complement to the great players on our roster,” Gotham FC general manager Yael Averbuch West said in a press release.
“We are excited to welcome Esther González and the quality that she will bring to the team,” added head coach Juan Carlos Amorós. “She fits well into our attractive style of play; she is a winner who works tirelessly on the press for the team, and she has an unbelievable hunger for goals and trophies.”
González is expected to join the team once she acquires her U.S. visa and other paperwork.
Competing for top internationals an important step for NWSL
González’s arrival is an indicator that NWSL clubs (or at least, those clubs with ambition, resources, and connections abroad) see the wisdom in diversifying their player pool. Gotham is a really straightforward example, with Amorós’ arrival followed within months by compatriots in the form of González and another recent signing, Maitane López.
For Gotham, the appeal is clear: González projects as the team’s No. 9, especially with Katie Stengel only being on a short-term loan from Liverpool. With Lynn Williams and Midge Purce to either side, and Ifeoma Onumonu and Yazmeen Ryan pushing hard for minutes as well, the Bats are going to be a major threat going forward.
The move may also be the highest-profile signing in a steadily growing trend around the league. The days of NWSL clubs recruiting coaches and general managers from youth and college soccer are fading, and connections to other strong women’s soccer nations are starting to bear fruit.
Right alongside Gotham, the Washington Spirit have added three players with caps for France not long after owner Michele Kang completed a move to purchase Olympique Lyon’s women’s team. The Orlando Pride are now up to four Brazilian players, while the North Carolina Courage have added two more Japanese players in recent weeks, going up to three.
Being able to sign players of González’s caliber — again, this woman just won the World Cup a few days ago — is a major way that a “modern” NWSL team is going to differentiate itself and potentially win things. International players had somewhat faded in prominence in recent years, with only five players born outside of the U.S. and Canada making the last three Best XIs, but the pendulum appears to be swinging in the other direction.
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