Soccer fans should be rejoicing because the men’s World Cup starts today, but for queer fans, things aren’t so simple.
At this year’s event, there are 48 teams competing in 104 matches across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, and with that comes opportunities for fans to cheer on their teams. But between the lack of LGBTQ+ representation on the pitch and FIFA’s checkered past with protecting its fans from homophobia and choosing anti-LGBTQ+ countries to host the event, wading into the World Cup can be a quagmire for queer sports fans.
So we’re here to break it all down for you, from the number of queer players (sorry, you’re not going to be happy with the answer) to what Pride events you can expect, to just how LGBTQ+ fans are reacting.
Are there any out players?
While the Women's World Cup — and especially the U.S. team — is full of out LGBTQ+ players, the men's teams are devoid of any queer representation.
Much like the NHL and other men’s professional sports leagues, there is not a single out player on any team participating in the World Cup.
What kinds of Pride celebrations will be held during matches?
With the last two World Cups being held in Russia and Qatar — two countries criticized for their treatment of the LGBTQ+ community — and homophobic chants becoming a frequent feature of FIFA-sanctioned games, queer fans were left feeling unwelcome.
But this time around, “Pride Houses” are being launched across 16 host cities in North America to provide a refuge for queer people. Pride House United 2026 is an initiative dedicated to creating safe spaces for LGBTQ+ fans and athletes throughout the tournament. The Pride Houses will host community events, watch parties, and offer resources to visitors.
Pride House LA/West Hollywood has announced a special four-day celebration launch to coincide with the opening weekend of the World Cup on June 11, which will not only include viewing parties and sports demos but also emphasize female athletes. On June 12, married Women’s World Cup champions and Out100 recipients Tobin Heath and Christen Press will be recording an episode of their podcast The RE-CAP Show live at Pride House LA/West Hollywood in celebration of Women in Sports Day with Angel City FC.
Other Pride Houses will be popping up in cities like San Francisco, New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver, Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey.
The June 26, 2026 World Cup match between Egypt and Iran has also been designated as a “Pride Match” by local Seattle FIFA organizers. The match will coincide with the host city’s Pride celebrations, but has become controversial since the match is between two countries where homosexuality is criminalized or outright punishable by death.
How are international LGBTQ+ fans feeling about the tournament?
At a time when the United States has been rolling back LGBTQ+ rights at an alarming rate and new laws attacking the trans community are being enacted across the country, queer soccer fans from other countries are having second thoughts about attending matches, and some are boycotting the events altogether because they don’t feel welcome or safe.
Both the ACLU and Amnesty International have issued travel advisories for fans wanting to travel to the U.S. for the World Cup, warning that trans and nonbinary people will have to “apply for visas using sex assigned at birth” and that immigrants, racial minorities, and “LGBTQ+ individuals have been and continue to be disproportionately targeted and affected by the administration’s policies and, as such, are most vulnerable to serious harm when traveling to and/or within the United States.”
And FIFA itself has been repeatedly called out for not doing enough to stop the homophobic behavior of its fans and has picked cities hostile to gay rights to host the World Cup. It gave the lucrative spot to Russia in 2018, Qatar in 2022, and has picked Saudi Arabia for 2034.
“The United States is a real nightmare, in terms of queer travelers and ICE raids and racial profiling,” Keph Senett, a trustee for Pride House International, told the SF Chronicle.
England's official LGBTQ+ supporters' group, Three Lions Pride (3LP), announced back in January that they won’t be attending the World Cup because they fear facing “abuse, violence, or arrest just for their existence."
German group Queer Football Fanclub (QFF) also said they are joining 3LP and won’t have an official presence at the tournament. "The Trump administration is putting more and more pressure on minorities and LGBTQI+ people […] and that makes it difficult to say 'yes, we are willing to go there and willing to attend the games,’” Sven Kistner, QFF spokesperson, told Sky Sports News.
Who are the hot players to watch?
There might not be any out LGBTQ+ athletes playing in the men’s World Cup, but there is plenty of eye candy for queer fans hoping to catch some games.
