Spain star Esther González said she thinks the NWSL to be among "the strongest" in the world.
González, who joined Gotham FC in 2023 after leaving Real Madrid, said she has been very impressed by the level of competition and quality in the league.
"People speak very highly of the Premier League in England, but I'm sure this league is one of the strongest. I'm sure of it," she told ESPN. "Coming to play here isn't easy, and that shows you have to prepare a lot, both physically and mentally.
"It's very clear that they are really taking care of women's football in the United States when players, when foreigners, come and don't leave this league, it's because we really feel very protected. We feel good in the clubs we are in. We understand that we are enjoying what we do, which is playing football."
González, 32, said she believes the NWSL offers a stability that other leagues around the world lack.
"When you watch other leagues and foreign players arrive but leave quickly and don't stay, you realise that something is happening," the former Levante and Atlético Madrid player said.
"Here we are bringing many people together, every year many more people arrive. We stay here, enjoying ourselves and, above all, we see that each franchise really wants to win and in the end each one fights for what is theirs."
Playing in the NWSL has allowed González to play against the best, including Orlando Pride and Brazil great Marta.
"You see a lot of videos [of her playing], but it's not the same as when I faced her," González said. "It was like, 'Wow, she's at an incredible level.' Whether it's admiration, she is certainly an idol for many players that we follow and play with today."
González has also made an impact in the United States. She scored the game-winning goal in the 2023 NWSL Championship game to help Gotham win their first league title in history.
Gotham finished third last season and are on course to reach the playoffs thanks to the Spanish forward, who is the current leading scorer in the NWSL with 12 goals.
"I think that when we won the playoffs in 2023, it was thanks to all the work we did together, both the technical team and the players," González said.
"I think we're in that moment now too, maybe in the standings, in some games we didn't have the ability to win and get the points, and that's why we're now fighting a little bit to get into the playoffs, but we're confident that we'll make it. We're working hard to make that happen and also to try to be in those games and try to win them."
A 2023 World Cup winner with Spain, González has also big ambitions with the national team. Top scorer at Euro 2025 when Spain finished runners-up to England after losing on penalties, González is determined to make it to the 2027 Women's World Cup that will be staged in Brazil.
"It's a goal," she said. "After being champions in 2023, not having managed to win the European Championship, obviously that little thorn is still there. I want to win another important title with Spain, to repeat what we did in Sydney, because really, obviously, it's a goal.
"I would love to be in Brazil, to enjoy football in Brazil too, and I know that people are very passionate, they are big football fans and it will be an incredible experience."