Gotham FC faces upheaval as Esther Gonzalez leaves team

The most reliable source of goals in this title-winning era of Gotham FC has left the team.

Gotham and forward Esther González agreed to a mutual contract termination, the club announced Monday.

González is returning to her native Spain with her family as she “temporarily steps away from soccer to attend to personal matters.”

“This journey has surpassed every expectation I had when I first came to Gotham,” González said in a statement. “Together we achieved everything there is to achieve, and I will forever be proud to say that with this club, I won it all.”

González was under contract through the 2027 NWSL season.

The departure puts an added spotlight on striker Sam Kerr, who recently re-joined Gotham and plays the same position as González.

Kerr started and scored in Friday night’s 2-2 draw in Portland, a contest spoiled by Emily Sonnett’s exit due to an apparent knee injury.

González, 33, ranks as Gotham’s all-time leading scorer with 33 goals across all NWSL competitions.

She joined Gotham late in the season in 2023, and went on to lead the team to its first NWSL title, scoring the game-winning goal in the championship game.

Last season, she was an MVP finalist after scoring 13 regular-season goals (second in the Golden Boot race), and helped Gotham secure a second NWSL crown. She also won a Concacaf W Champions Cup and an NWSL Challenge Cup during her tenure.

González scored four goals in her final three games this season as Gotham surged to second place in the NWSL standings.

“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,” said Yael Averbuch West, the president of soccer operations for Gotham FC. “We thank her for three great years full of world-class moments of brilliance.”

González is also a mainstay with the Spanish national team, which is considered a co-favorite along with the United States for next summer’s World Cup.