REUTERS/Claudia Greco
Over the past few years, it's been more and more common for footballers to play in Saudi Arabia. The trend really began when Cristiano Ronaldo left Manchester United for Saudi Pro League team Al Nassr in 2023.
In the years since, many big names have followed, with the likes of Karim Benzema and Sadio Mane among the star players to join Ronaldo in the Middle East. However, moves to Saudi tend to draw criticism for footballers.
To play in that part of the world means to join a league in a country where being gay is illegal. Same-sex sexual activity is prohibited under Sharia law, under which all sex outside of marriage, including same-sex sexual activity, is criminalised. The maximum penalty under the law is the death penalty.
With that in mind, one player has prompted an angry reaction from some parts of the football community after they left their US club to play in Saudi Arabia.
Esther Gonzalez Joins Al-Qadsiah After Gotham FC Exit
The player in question is Esther Gonzalez. As per OutSports, the women's football star left New York’s Gotham FC a month ago as she needed to take care of some family issues in her home country of Spain.
The report explains how, to get out of her contract with the US team, Gonzalez said that she would retire from the sport, even if it wouldn’t be forever. Gotham FC acquiesced as the player was allowed to return home in order to deal with some personal matters.
However, just one month on from then, the 33-year-old has now been announced as a new player for Al-Qadsiah Saudi Women’s Football Club. Adding to the intrigue, Gonzalez is known to be gay and yet will be playing in a country where her sexual orientation is illegal.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo
'One of the Worst Decisions' - Gonzalez Slammed Over Saudi Move
Gonzalez had been with WSL side Gotham FC for three years between 2023 and 2026, but had played for both Real and Atlético Madrid earlier in her career. She was also part of Spain's World Cup winning ream of 2023. As such a big name within the women's game, it's no shock that her exit has caused an outcry online.
As per OutSports, it has been claimed by outraged fans that she has even deleted images of her wife and child from Instagram, in preparation for the move to Saudi Arabia. The publication, however, was able to find one image of the player with her partner from 2021 that had not been deleted.
Journalist Bruno Miotto is among those to criticise the move, as he wrote on social media:
News of her move has sparked plenty of anger online, but Gonzalez isn't the first footballer to draw criticism for a move to Saudi Arabia. Jordan Henderson was called out by many when he left Liverpool for Al-Ettifaq in 2023.
The English midfielder had been a vocal supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, so his move left many feeling betrayed. Henderson lasted just six months before returning to Europe.