Sam Kerr Joins Gotham FC: Record Attendance at New York, Call for Australian Women's Soccer

Herz — Sport Desk · 24 July 2026 at 04:24 · 30s summary · 3 min read

What we know

Sam Kerr, 32, captain of the Matildas (Australia's national women's soccer team), has joined Gotham FC in the NWSL (National Women's Soccer League, the top professional women's soccer league in the United States). She leaves Chelsea, where she played in the WSL (Women's Super League, England's top division), after six and a half years.

Kerr made her debut at Citi Field, the home stadium of the New York Mets baseball team, in a match against Washington. She entered as a substitute and Gotham FC won the game. According to ABC News Australia, more than 42,000 spectators attended—a record for a women's sports event in New York City.

In her second match, Gotham FC came back from a 0-2 deficit to win 3-2, despite a two-hour-thirty-minute weather delay. Teammate Midge Purce compared Kerr to the fictional character Hulk.

Context

Kerr is no stranger to New York soccer: she previously played for Sky Blue FC, Gotham's predecessor. She is married to player Kristie Mewis, and proximity to her spouse's family was cited as one reason for her return to the United States.

Gotham FC is the defending NWSL champion. In 2028, the club will move to a new soccer stadium in Queens, New York, which it will share with New York City FC, a Major League Soccer (MLS) team.

The NWSL was founded in 2013 with 8 teams. It now has 16 teams, reflecting significant commercial growth in American women's soccer.

A sign of the league's growing influence: Trinity Rodman signed a three-year contract with the Washington Spirit worth a reported annual salary of $2.86 million USD, making her one of the world's highest-paid female soccer players.

Among the Matildas, Kerr and goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold are the only regular players competing in the NWSL. Most Australian international players now compete in Europe.

Kerr's call for Australian women's soccer investment