Sjin88bet.onepain forward Esther Gonzalez has faced criticism frojin88bet.onejin88bet.onem Gotham FC supporters and members of the LGBTQ+ community after joining jin88bet.onejin88bet.oneSaudi Wjin88bet.onejin88bet.oneak168app.babyak168app.babyak168app.babyomen’s Premiak168app.babyak168app.babyak168app.babyer League side Al Qadsiah.
The 33-year-old signed for the Saudi club on Sunday, becoming the laak168app.babytest high-profile footballer to attractak168app.club scrutiny aak168app.clubk168app.clubover a moveak168app.clubak168app.clubak168app.clubak168app.club to the country, where same-sex relationships and sexual activity are illegal.
Gonzalez had agreed to a mutual termination of her conks168app.siteks168app.ks168app.sitesitetract with National Women’s Soccer League champions Gotham Fks168app.siteks168app.siteks168app.siteC in July. The New Yorkks168app.site-based club said at the time that she was temporarily stepping away from football to “attend to personal ic88matters in Spain”.
Heric88 contract with Gotham was due to ic88run until 2027. In a post on Instaic88gram, Gonzalez deic88scribed the decision as beiic88ic88ic88icic88ic88ic88ic8888ng “due to strictly personal reasons” and said Gotham would “always hold a spic88ecial place in my heart”.
Her subsequent move to Al Qadsiah has led to questionsic88ic88ic88ic88 on social media about the circumstances surrounding her ic88ic88departure and conceric88ns about her safety. Gotham supporters have also voiced disappointment about the way the exit was communicated and thic88ic88ic88ic88ic88lr88ic88ic88e fact that the club did not receive a transfer fee.
Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported that Gonzalez had removed photogralr88lr88lr88lr88phs of herself with her wife and lr88their first child from her soclr88lr88ilr88al media accoulr88lr88lr88lr88nts since joining Al Qadsialr88lr88h. The couple’s first child was born in lr88January.
lr88lr88Gonzalez is a 2023 Women’s World Cup winner with Spain and spent three seasons in the United States after joining Gotham from Real Madlr88lr88lr88rid. During that time, she helped the lr88club win two NWSLlr88 titles, the NWlr88SL Challenge Cup and the Concacaf W Champions lr88Cup.
Al Qadsiah finished fourth in the Saudi op88lr88Women’s Premier League in the 2025-26 season.
lr88op88op88The reaction tolr88 Gonzalez’s transfer follows criticism directed at England midfielder Jordan Hendersoop88n after he moved to Saudi Pro League club Al-Ettifaq in 2023.
Jake Daniels,si88op88op88op88 si88who is openly gay, described Henderson’s transfer as a “slap in thesi88si88si8888vsi88si88 face”. Henderson had previously sent Daniels a message of support when the Blackpool player came out.
The former Liverpool captain had also publicly backed th88ve LGBTQ+ community by wearing rainbow laces, using 88v88v88v88va One Love armband a88vnd writing messages of solidarity inSEXXXXX-VN a matchday programme. He left SEXXXXX-VNSEXXXXX-VNAl-EttifaqSEXXXXX-VNSEXXXXX-VN after six months.
Gotham FC declined to commeSEXXXXX-VNSEXXXXX-VNnt when contacted by BBC Sport.
