Story perspectives

Esther González signs one-season deal with Al Qadsiah

8/29/2026

Summary

Esther González signs

Esther González signed a one-season contract with Saudi club Al Qadsiah.
Gotham FC announced on 27 July that González left to address personal matters in Spain.
Before departing, González set Gotham’s all-time scoring record and was a league MVP finalist.
She missed the January FIFA Women’s Champions Cup because partner Estefanía Cruz gave birth.
Observers questioned why González, with a female partner, joined a league that criminalizes same-sex relations.

Summary

Players Petition

A petition signed by 135 players in 2024 urges FIFA to end its sponsorship with Aramco.
Former Gotham teammates Maitane López and Sinead Farrelly signed the petition.
Critics describe the Saudi Women’s Premier League as a sports-washing tool masking human-rights violations.
González becomes the first World Cup winner to join the league, adding legitimacy.
The league launched in 2022 as a flagship project of Vision 2030.

History

Historical Context

Saudi Arabia began its state-driven sports-washing in 2015 when the Saudi Sports Authority partnered with the International Olympic Committee, later allocating $5 billion from the Ministry of Sports and Aramco to launch the 2022 Saudi Women’s Premier League under Al Qadsiah. In 2024, 135 players—including Esther González and Gotham FC teammates—petitioned FIFA to drop Aramco’s sponsorship, challenging Vision 2030’s investment model.

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Esther González signs

Esther González signed a one-season contract with Saudi club Al Qadsiah.
Gotham FC announced on 27 July that González left to address personal matters in Spain.
Before departing, González set Gotham’s all-time scoring record and was a league MVP finalist.
She missed the January FIFA Women’s Champions Cup because partner Estefanía Cruz gave birth.
Observers questioned why González, with a female partner, joined a league that criminalizes same-sex relations.

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