Australia's star striker Sam Kerr has returned to the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) after a seven-year absence, joining reigning champions Gotham FC on a free transfer with a contract running to 2030. The move is significant both because Kerr remains the NWSL's all-time leading scorer and because she returns to a league — and a club — transformed since her last spell, when the same franchise was called Sky Blue and lacked basic facilities such as locker rooms and running water. Gotham's president of soccer operations, Yael Averbuch West, described the signing as "a landmark moment for our club".

The 32-year-old scored 77 regular-season NWSL goals across earlier stints with Western New York Flash, Sky Blue FC and Chicago Red Stars, winning two MVP awards and three consecutive Golden Boots. She arrives after six and a half years at Chelsea, where she netted 116 goals and won five WSL titles, though her final seasons were disrupted by a 22-month absence following an ACL tear in 2024. Kerr cited Gotham's winning culture, its cluster of former Chelsea players (including Guro Reiten, Ann-Katrin Berger and Jess Carter), elite USWNT team-mates, and the league's new child-friendly policies as factors; her wife Kristie Mewis previously won a title with the club. Gotham also announced a move into New York City, relocating from New Jersey to a new stadium, Etihad Park in Queens, from 2028.