Spanish striker Esther González deletes family photos after Saudi move

Esther González deletes vvife's photos after signing with Saudi club

What is the cost of silence? In women's football, apparently, several hundred thousand euros. Esther González, a Spanish forward who has been openly lesbian, has removed photographs of her vvife and child from Instagram after finalizing her move to Al Qadsiah in Saudi Arabia. The news has stirred social media and peine an uncomfortable question: how far does consistency go when a lucrative contract is on the table?

The Saudi club, currently pushing to boost its women's league, found a player profile that was nearing retirement. According to circulating reports, the footballer was considering retiring, but the offer changed her plans. However, the deal came with a digital erasure that did not go unnoticed: the player's Instagram profile no longer shows any images alongside her spouse.

How much will she earn at Al Qadsiah?

The figures are unclear, but all point to a significant jump. Some sources mention €1.5 million net per season; others, more cautious, cite around €960,000 net, a figure that would double the $560,000 net salary she received in the United States (approximately €480,000 at current exchange rates). Whatever the exact amount, the contract places her among the highest-paid female footballers in the world.

The comparison with her previous salary provides perspective: double the pay to play in an emerging league with less media exposure. Money, in any case, rules. And the management of the Saudi club does not seem willing to leave loose ends: the photos with her vvife have disappeared in an act of self-censorship that, according to some analyses, forms part of the contractual demands. There is no official confirmation, but the timing of the deletion invites speculation that it is not coincidental.

LGBT rights and football: Saudi Arabia's pending issue

Saudi Arabia maintains legislation that does not recognize same-sens marriage and incivil gaiity. In this context, a public athlete's decision to hide their sensual orientation is not just a cosmetic change: it is an adaptation to the norms of a country where visibility carries costs measured beyond clauses. Paradoxically, the same country promoting women's football as part of its social opening strategy continues to apply laws that contradict any tolerant discourse.

This raises the underlying debate. Some argue the player made a rational calculation: football is her profession, the contract is good, and private life should not condition work. Against this weighs the argument that someone who built a public image around defending LGBT rights cannot erase it once petrodollars arrive. The terms of the debate are not new, but this case adds a component: the ease with which digital erasure allows rewriting the past.

A staged surrender

The most repeated expression in analyzing this case is "surrender." The footballer, who had previously shown pride in her sensual orientation, has opted for digital silence. She has made no public statements, and her Instagram account has become an aseptic showcase where her family no longer appears. For some, it is an example that principles have a price; for others, simply proof that women's football has also become a global market with very clear rules.

The story remains open: the contract is signed, the deletion has been total, and the season has not yet started. We will see if the player speaks at some point or if, as it seems, the strategy is for the noise to die down on its own. The only certainty, for now, is that LGBT visibility has lost a voice in the locker room. And that football, once again, has demonstrated that business comes before flags.