2023 NWSL Champion Midge Purce is BACK
HARRISON, NJ (Wednesday, February 5, 2025) - The following statement was released Wednesday by Midge Purce in response to questions about her future with Gotham FC:
“I’m back.”
The 2023 NWSL Championship MVP and a U.S. Women’s National Team forward, Purce signed a new one-year deal with Gotham FC. The agreement includes fresh terms after Purce entered free agency following her fifth year with the club, a campaign marred by a season-ending knee injury.
The fan favorite Purce will join the team at preseason training camp in Marbella, Spain.
“I’m excited to continue my journey with Gotham FC,” Purce said. “I can’t wait to get back on the pitch to play with this team and for our incredible fans.”
A creative winger known for her dribbling, passing vision and versatility, the 29-year-old Purce provides an immediate and significant boost to Gotham’s offensive firepower. She re-joins a talented attacking group that includes Spanish World Cup winner Esther Gonzalez, U.S. Women’s National Teamers Rose Lavelle and Ella Stevens and Brazilian star Gabi Portilho.
In 2023, Purce etched her name in Gotham FC lore when she became just the second player in league history to assist two goals in an NWSL final, helping the club win its first NWSL trophy. The electric performance completed a fantastic year for Purce, who set a new career high with four assists in just 15 matches.
“Midge brings a number of great qualities to our team, and her dynamism and experience are great additions to our talented attacking group,” said Yael Averbuch West, the general manager and head of soccer operations for Gotham FC. “We are very excited to welcome her back into the mix.”
Purce has 25 goals and nine assists in 109 league appearances, including 16 scores in her 46 games with Gotham, where she claimed NWSL Best XI honors in 2021. She owns a number of Gotham FC records, including the most career game-winning goals (10) and the most in a single season (6) in 2021.
A U.S. Women’s National Team regular over the past four years, Purce has five goals and four assists in 30 appearances. She won the 2022 Concacaf Women’s Championship and the 2024 W Gold Cup with the USWNT, scoring in both tournaments and playing in the finals.
Off the field, Purce is one of the most compelling personalities in sport. She has extended her influence far beyond soccer, from fashion and media to advocacy, and was named to the famed Forbes “30 Under 30” list in 2023. She is a fierce advocate for girls and women in sports, co-founding and serving as executive director of the Black Women’s Player Collective and championing equal pay for the U.S. Women’s National Team. A 2017 graduate of Harvard University, Purce serves on her alma mater’s prestigious Board of Overseers.
A media personality who has provided soccer commentary for CBS, Purce created The Offseason, the popular reality docuseries following the lives of select NWSL players during their off-time between seasons. The first episode drew more than 2.5 million views in its exclusive release on X, formerly known as Twitter.
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