Gotham FC news roundup: The first part of the preseason 2026 and more | OneFootball

NJ/NY Gotham FC is getting closer to playing their first game of 2026. The team will play in the FIFA Women's Champions Cup in England, playing two matches starting on January 28. Then, the Challenge Cup will take place on February 20, and the NWSL season will begin in March. In other words, fans are getting closer to seeing the ladies play regularly again.

There are still questions regarding the roster and whether the Bats will bring in others. As of now, most of last year's squad is back, and with some new players like Talia Sommer, it might be possible that only a few more moves are made. Before then, here is another Gotham FC news roundup.

Gotham FC has begin the preseason

While there was no announcement on their website or on social media, Gotham FC has begun the 2026 preseason. The team has travelled to Spain and will train there before the Champions Cup in England. No roster has been announced, and it is unknown whether any of the players on loan will be with the squad for the two games.

Additionally, Gotham did not reveal whether the team got permission to start the preseason early. Truthfully, the NWSL Champions have no choice since they will play a competitive game at the end of the month. However, per CBA guidelines for the NWSL, teams could not start earlier than January 15 in 2025. So, it brings up the question of whether the date is the same for this year. Of course, one can assume that the team is fine since they are already in Spain.

Esther González is a mom

Congratulations are in order because Esther González is a mom! The Gotham FC forward and her wife, Estefanía, welcomed their first child. As such, there will be a new fan of the team. It does not look like the name has been revealed at this time.

This is a great moment for the couple. It also caps off a fantastic last couple of months for González. Although it is an easy bet that the birth of her child was even better than lifting the NWSL trophy.

Will Gotham FC sign anyone from the NWSL Combine?

Back in December, the 2025 NWSL Combine took place, and it featured some of the top college talent that could be signed to an NWSL side. Gotham FC has proved they are not afraid to sign rookies, as seen through their offseason for 2025. They already signed one player from college for the upcoming campaign, but will they bring in any of the stars from the Combine?