In January 2019, former Botafogo footballer Douglas Braga said that he had quit football aged 21 as it was not possible for him to be both gay and a footballer.
When Richarlyson undertook legal action, the complaint was thrown out by the judge, who stated 'football was a virile masculine sport and not a homosexual one.' Richarlyson would later come out as bisexual in 2022. Richarlyson was named on Brazilian television as gay by the manager of a rival team.
Ī number of representatives of the Australian women's national team are openly gay, including Sam Kerr, Michelle Heyman and Tameka Yallop (née Butt). In doing so he became the only openly gay top flight professional footballer in the world.
In October 2021, Josh Cavallo came out via a video posted on his club's website and social media pages. Andy Brennan came out as gay in May 2019, becoming the first openly gay male professional player in Australia.
