Kate Taylor signs for the Madrid-based club. Image: Madrid CFF.
Kate Taylor, leadership and international projection for the Madrid CFF defence
The Madrid side announced the signing of Kate Taylor. The 22-year-old New Zealand international defender arrives from Dijon FCO, with whom she has played 37 matches in the top tier of French football. Furthermore, the centre-back has 32 international caps and 3 goals for her country's senior team.
31 JUL 2026
Madrid CFF complete their third signing of the transfer window. Following the arrivals of Débora Letícia da Silva Paz 'Bebê' (Botafogo) and Ana González (FC Badalona Women), the Madrid-based side have secured Kate Taylor ahead of the upcoming Liga F Moeve campaign. The 22-year-old New Zealand international defender arrives from Dijon FCO, where she made 37 appearances over the last two seasons in the Première Ligue, scoring 1 goal and providing 1 assist. Last season, the centre-back played a total of 1,217 minutes across 17 matches—starting 13 of them—and stood out for her ball-playing ability, boasting an 84% passing accuracy. She is a versatile player who can feature either at the heart of the defence or push further up into defensive midfield. She also shines for her leadership and defensive reading, averaging 3.3 ball recoveries and 3.7 clearances per match.
Furthermore, last season she won 59% of her duels. A native of Christchurch, the centre-back started out at Nomads United, a boys' club where she played alongside her sister with her father as coach. She did not join a girls' team until the age of ten and continued competing in the boys' league until she was thirteen, winning three consecutive national titles with Canterbury United Pride. She then moved to Wellington Phoenix, making 42 appearances, and was named vice-captain at just 18 years old, as well as the team's best player. The new Madrid CFF player was captain of New Zealand at the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. At senior level, she has earned 32 caps and scored 3 goals, having featured at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games—where she scored against France—and captained her country during the qualifiers for the 2027 World Cup.