Gotham FC and forward Esther González mutually agree to part ways | OneFootball

On Monday afternoon, NJ/NY Gotham FC announced that the club and forward Esther González had mutually agreed to a contract termination. González is temporarily stepping away from soccer due to personal matters that need her attention in Spain. The Spanish international departs the team as the club’s all-time leading scorer. She had 33 goals across all NWSL competitions after joining the club in August of 2023.

González was a two-time NWSL Best XI performer and a 2025 NWSL MVP finalist. With Gotham, she was a part of the squad for every major trophy, including two NWSL championships in 2023 and 2025, the 2024-25 Concacaf W Champions Cup, and the 2026 NWSL Challenge Cup. In addition to winning all of these titles, she scored the game-winning goal in three of the four title games: the 2023 NWSL Championship, 2024-25 W Champions Cup, and last month's NWSL Challenge Cup.

Esther González leaves Gotham FC

Unquestionably, both sides expressed emotion about the departure and appreciation for one another. This was seen on gothamfc.com. “We wish Esther and her family all the best as they return home to Spain,” said Yael Averbuch West, the president of soccer operations for Gotham FC. “Esther has been a model professional on and off the field, helping us win four major trophies and serving as a respected leader in our team. We thank her for three great years full of world-class moments of brilliance. We will always support Esther wherever her path leads.”

"Gotham FC will always hold a very special place in my heart,” González said. “From the moment I arrived, I felt something unique about this club — the people, the environment, the way everyone works together every single day. I am grateful for each and every moment shared with my teammates, the coaches and every single member of this club."

She added, “This journey has surpassed every expectation I had when I first came to Gotham. Together we achieved everything there is to achieve, and I will forever be proud to say that with this club, I won it all. But beyond the trophies, Gotham is the place where I grew in so many ways — as a player, as a professional and most importantly, as a person. And it is here, in New Jersey, where my family grew, too. I carry so many incredible memories with me, but I know that every time I think of this club, I will do so with a smile on my face. Thank you, Gotham, for everything.”

There was obviously speculation that the arrival of Sam Kerr meant that González's days at the club would be numbered, especially with her only signed through 2027, but nobody could have foreseen this. All things considered, this was pretty clearly not the send-off that Gotham nor González would have wanted given her stature at the club and her presence in the team's record books.

The Bats are in a decent position when it comes to options at the striker position after Kerr. Both Jaedyn Shaw and Jordynn Dudley have experience in that position and are more than capable of excelling there. Obviously, these are less than ideal circumstances as the NJ/NY side would have been hoping to have both Kerr and González as a two-headed monster in their search for back-to-back NWSL titles and their third in four years.

González's departure most likely came as a surprise to anyone on the outside looking in. Not only did she suit up for the team just over a week ago, but she was also starting to get back into a strong goal-scoring form with five goals in her last five games. This included a brace off the bench in what has ended up being her last match for Gotham FC against Seattle Reign FC.

Adding to that, her feeling that it is necessary to step away from the sport, with the World Cup being just 12 months away, shows the seriousness of whatever this personal issue is. Everyone at Skyscraper Blues wishes González the best moving forward.