Esther González's Saudi Arabia Move Raises Questions After She Deleted Family Photos
The Spanish striker drew criticism after joining Al-Qadsiah, as Saudi Arabia criminalizes same-sex relations and she reportedly deleted family photos online.
- On August 23, Spanish forward Esther González signed with Al-Qadsiah of the Saudi Women's Premier League, weeks after leaving NWSL champions Gotham Football Club early.
- González departed Gotham Football Club before her 2027 contract expired to address 'personal matters' in Spain, which she described as 'strictly personal reasons' for the move.
- Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported that González removed photographs of her wife, Estefanía Cruz, and their child from Instagram following the transfer; González has not publicly explained the reported changes.
- Criticism from the LGBT community arose because Saudi Arabia criminalizes same-sex relations, echoing backlash faced by former England midfielder Jordan Henderson after joining Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq in 2023.
- While Saudi Arabia's tourism department claims LGBTQ+ visitors are welcome, human rights groups document the precarity of queer life in the country; González remains an accomplished 2023 World Cup-winning athlete.
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SCAN SPORT - World champion with Spain, Euro's best scorer and openly homosexual, the 33-year-old attacker has chosen to join Al-Qadsiah. A destination that is particularly responsive.
Esther González's Saudi Arabia Move Raises Questions After She Deleted Family Photos
Spanish footballer Esther González has joined Saudi Women's Premier League side Al-Qadsiah weeks after leaving National Women's Soccer League champions Gotham FC, following reports that photographs of her wife and child were removed from her social media accounts. The 33-year-old forward announced the move on 23 August, less than a month after Gotham agreed to terminate her contract early. González had said she was returning to Spain for 'strict…
The Spanish football player Esther González is one of the world's women's football stars. In 2023, she became the world champion with Spain, and in 2025, the best female European football championship in the world, and in addition, González won the title of the best bomber in New York's history, "Gotham", for which she has played for the past three years.
The Advocate
Gay NWSL player signs with Saudi women’s football club, deletes photos of wife and child
This story originally appeared on Them.Esther González, a National Women’s Soccer League champion married to a woman, is facing criticism after signing to Al-Qadsiah of Saudi Women’s Premier League — located in a country that famously outlaws same-sex relations.The 33-year-old athlete’s shocking move comes after she made the decision to leave the NWSL’s NJ/NY Gotham Football Club before the end of her 2027 contract in July to address “personal m…
World champion Esther González, who had recently terminated her contract with the American Gotham FC, has just signed until 2027 for the Al Qadish of Saudi Arabia. She is not the first Spanish to land in the emerging Asian league, framed within the plan of the country Vision 2030 in which she intends to evolve socially through sport, but behind the signing there has been a fact that has traveled like gunpowder the Spanish press.Keep reading...
World champion Esther González has started a new professional stage in Saudi Arabia after becoming a footballer of Al Qadsiah, an operation that has sparked numerous criticisms on social networks. The movement arrives just a month after the forward Granada put an end to its stage in the Gotham of New [...]
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