Zanotti fires Corinthians to shock semi-final win over Gotham in Women’s Champions Cup | Women’s Champions Cup
Corinthians scored a resounding victory against Gotham FC in the first semi-final of the inaugural FIFA Women’s Champions Cup, a goal from 40-year-old Corinthians captain Gabi Zanotti in the 83rd minute.
“Everyone might have been talking about Gotham and Arsenal in the final, but Corinthians are there and we played a very good game to beat the NWSL champions,” said their manager, Lucas Piccinato. “We know what we can do.”
He’s right. There has long been a desire to settle bragging rights between the WSL and NWSL as arguably the best domestic women’s leagues in the world and there was some desire, but not expectation, of a Gotham v Arsenal final. Instead, the Corinthians have upset the odds and want more.
“It’s a momentous moment but we are preparing for the final, no matter who we face, and we want to leave England with the trophy,” Piccinato said.
Gotham manager Juan Carlos Amorós said: “We wish them the best. They came with a game plan which they executed, it worked for them and they won the match. From our side, I think we also executed everything we had prepared. We dominated the match in every aspect, but as we all know, football is about goals, you have to score goals. If you don’t do that, you are normally punished and unfortunately, it was the case.”
It wasn’t a squad of supporters on their way to Brentford’s Gtech Stadium for the double semi-final, but a far from insignificant group of Corinthians supporters made their presence known, arriving together in full voice before turning up to watch their Copa Libertadores winners take on the Concacaf Champions Cup winners.
The action on the pitch was far from exciting, but that was to be expected with both teams in pre-season, Gotham’s moved forward to host the tournament and Corinthians’ preparations well underway with their season kicking off on February 7 in the Supercopa do Brasil against Palmeiras.
With a place in the final at stake against European Champions League winners Arsenal or African Champions League winners AS Far, as well as a larger share of the $2.3m (£1.7m) prize pool, this is a tournament taken seriously despite the logistical nightmare it represented for those involved.
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Transfer spending up 83.6%
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Spending on international transfer fees in women’s football increased by 83.6% in 2025 compared to 2024, according to the latest report published by Fifa.
A total of $28.6 million (£20.8 million) was spent on international transfers, with a record 135 women’s clubs paying transfer fees. Fifa data excludes deals between teams from the same country, such as Arsenal’s historic £1million move to sign Olivia Smith from Liverpool.
These figures continue the trend of rapid inflation of transfer fees in women’s football. In 2023, Fifa reported spending $6.1 million on international transfer fees, less than a quarter of what was spent two years later.
The vast majority of international transfers – 81.4% – still concern transfers at the end of the contract, and the average contract duration is 16.3 months.
Fifa has revealed that London City Lionesses’ purchase of French midfielder Grace Geyoro from Paris Saint-Germain involved the largest fee of any international deal in 2025 and that the promoted WSL club was the second biggest spender on international transfer fees.
Chelsea top this ranking, having been involved in two of the five biggest international moves, signing American duo Alyssa Thompson and Naomi Girma.
The Fifa report also draws attention to the relatively low salaries many players receive: in 2025, the median annual fixed salary for a player making an international transfer was $19,800, although more than a fifth of affected players received more than $50,000 per year. Tom Garry
“The players gave absolutely everything they had,” Amorós said. “Everyone did, from the owner down to the last staff member. They put in a lot of time, effort and sacrifice to make sure we were ready to win. For us, obviously, the time of year is a little difficult because it’s in the middle of our offseason. But we always say we’re not looking for excuses in Gotham, we’re looking for solutions.”
Gotham started brightly but Corinthians were far from playing second fiddle in a tight encounter and a strike from their Uruguay international Belén Aquino that slipped narrowly from the edge of the area on 10 minutes was the first sign of their threat.
Gotham asserted their authority in the second half and had the better chances, with Emily Sonnett’s header blocked off the line.
As extra time approached, threatening for two teams who had not played a competitive match in two months (Gotham) and four months (Corinthians), the Brazilian champions dealt a blow to their wanton opponents, whose decision-making in the final third was a little too slow, when Zanotti sent the ball to the edge of the area before scoring past Ann-Katrin Berger. The group of Corinthians supporters erupted, staff and substitutes joyful at the edge of the pitch.
Gotham pushed, and there was controversy late in the match when a Gotham free kick on the edge of the area caused scenes that led to a red card for a member of the Corinthians staff. The Americans, however, were unable to equalize with their final kick, the effort going wide of the post and the whistle blown straight after.
Much credit must be given to a combative and organized Corinthians, whose three key players were unable to start after only being able to travel on Sunday due to visa issues. However, Gotham will be rightly frustrated by a tournament that did not give it a fair chance, with Team USA not appearing mentally or physically ready, and Fifa will question the cost of the compromises made to fit this competition into the calendar.
