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Mar 21, 2015
Where can you find the most talented, stunning, and famous lesbians? Look no further than the soccer field.
Many of the best soccer players in the world are openly queer and proud advocates in the LGBTQ community. There’s a long history of LGBTQ athletes being outed and shamed, but in our lifetime, we have seen an explosion of queer joy in women’s sports. These WLW athletes also care deeply about the women’s sports as a whole.
The World Cup may be over, but fortunately, your favorite soccer lesbians play in women’s leagues year-round. I promise you don’t have to wait until the 2027 FIFA World Cup to see Sam Kerr do a backflip.
The two main professional leagues in women’s soccer are the National Women’s Soccer League — based in the United States from October to March — and the FA Women’s Super League — based in Europe from October to May. Both leagues broadcast on CBS and Paramount Plus.
I highly recommend investing in women’s soccer as your new lesbian interest. It’s also a big hit on the apps. So get the gays together and watch the FIFA lesbian soccer players shine on!
If you’re watching and wondering, is she…*painting nails emoji*? The answer may well be yes. Here are five players who paved the way and seven players to watch from around the world.
Lesbians have played an essential and often overlooked role in the world of soccer, contributing not only to the sport’s growth and popularity but also to its diversity and inclusivity! Here are some of the most important wlw athletes who helped pave the way for generations to come.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
You can make a strong case for Marta being one of the best players in the sport’s history. She’s been named the FIFA Player of the Year Award six times, and she’s the top goal scorer in the Women’s World Cup history.
In a press conference after her final World Cup, she gave a tearful speech about how the sport has changed during her lifetime.
“When I started playing, I didn’t have a female idol. You guys didn’t show any female games…Today, when I go out on the street, parents stop and say, ‘Oh my daughter loves you. She wants to be just like you.’”
Marta Vieira da Silva
God, this woman has a heart of gold, and of course, she’s in love. She’s engaged to her Orlando Pride teammate, Toni Pressley.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Megan Rapinoe. The baddest and gayest to ever do it, and my personal lesbian footballer queen. She holds two World Cup titles and an Olympic gold medal and captained the US Women’s National Team from 2018 to 2020. Before the 2023 World Cup, she announced she would retire after finishing her final season at OL Reign in the National Women’s Soccer League.
Rapinoe has changed what it means to be an athlete and an advocate. She was among the first international athletes to kneel in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick. When Donald Trump trolled her on Twitter in the 2019 World Cup, she shoved it right back in his face. In 2022, Joe Biden awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, making her the first soccer player to be recognized.
She’s also in a women’s sports power couple. She’s been married to Sue Bird, a WNBA star, since 2017.
Source: Twitter/X
Abby Wambach was one of the star players on the US Women’s National Team from 2004 to 2015, winning two Olympic gold medals and one World Cup. She is the all-time highest goal scorer for the US team, both male and female.
In retirement, Wambach is a vocal advocate for women’s sports and LGBTQ rights. She is also married to Glennon Doyle, author of Untamed. And for your viewing pleasure, please enjoy this clip of her and Kelly O’Hara checking out the German head coach.
Source: Instagram
Christen Press and Tobin Heath both have soccer careers that could span an entire article. They won two world cups together in 2015 and 2019. Press holds the all-time scoring and assists record for the Stanford Cardinals, a significant pipeline for soccer lesbians. Tobin has been to three Olympics and collected two gold medals. Press currently plays for Angel City and Heath for OL Reign, but they are both out with injuries.
I list them together because they have teamed up to advocate for women in sports. Oh, and also, they are in love.
I can’t emphasize enough their relationship’s influence on the Lesbians of Women’s Soccer. In 2015, the gay women of Tumblr were in their investigative bag, pulling together the #Preath timeline. They never came out, but they knew what they were doing. Tobin, why are you painting giant rainbows on your jacket? Christen, we can see Tobin in the reflection of your glasses in that Instagram picture. And then flash forward five years, they just start posting together all the time. And we were right all along.
Their newest venture as business partners is a new show, RE–CAP, under their lifestyle brand re–inc. Heath and Press are using their power to shake up the coverage of women’s sports to empower the next generation of athletes.
Tobin Heath also astutely pointed out that the USWNT didn’t start a single queer athlete during the World Cup…and then lost. Coincidence? I think not.
Source: Wikimedia commons
Sam Kerr is one of the best women’s soccer players in the world today. She had the craziest goal in this World Cup, zipping it into the top corner from 25 meters away.
As captain, Kerr led the Australian National Team to their first-ever semi-finals, capturing the world’s attention. And Australia had the gayest team in the World Cup, with at least 10 LGBTQ athletes, 40% of the team. And they had a record-setting tournament.
My TikTok For You Page has been 80% Sam Kerr edits for weeks. Seriously, this woman is causing a nationwide gay panic Down Under.
But don’t wait until 2027 to see her play! She plays for Chelsea in the FA Women’s Super League.
Source: instagram.com
Kristie Mewis played in her first World Cup this year — the only time she touched the ball, she scored (in penalty kicks against Sweden, right before the USWNT was eliminated). She plays for Gotham FC in the NWSL.
After the US was eliminated, she clocked in for her second job as Sam Kerr’s WAG. And I doubt she’s in any hurry to return to the US. Every woman in Australia is after her woman. She’s got to stay close.
At the beginning of 2021, Kerr and Mewis had both just ended long-term relationships with other soccer players, and fans started noticing some thirsty comments on each others’ posts. Then they popped up at the Olympics, and we see Kristie comforting Sam After Australia lost to the US.
Then, on the last day of the Olympics, we got a hard launch on Instagram: a polaroid of Kristie and Sam making out. They have been all over the internet ever since.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Danielle Van De Donk played for the Netherlands at the World Cup, where she inspired several iconic memes with her intense lesbian energy. There’s simply no other way to describe it. Van De Donk was the one who pissed off Lindsey Horan to score her second goal in the group stage, and then she looked angry in a swim cap when the Netherlands lost. She plays for Arsenal in the FA.
As for her dating history, she used to date English player Beth Mead, who is currently dating a different Dutch player, Vivianne Miedema. And now Van De Donk is with Ellie Carpenter, who plays for Australia. Workplace drama!
Source: Twitter
Ona Batlle is considered one of the best full-backs in women’s soccer, and she’s a World Cup champion baby! Batlle plays for the Spain National Team and the club Barcelona team.
She also kindly comforted her Barcelona teammate, Lucy Bronze, after the game. This was actually sportsmanship this time.
And oh my god, she’s easy on the eyes. She’s fairly private with her dating life, but she is openly queer.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Rachel Daly is a force in women’s soccer. She plays for the English National Team, placing second at the World Cup, and Aston Villa in the FA.
She also faced her ex’s new girlfriend in the semifinals. Yep, Rachel Daly used to date Kristie Mewis. Technically, Daly moved on first when she dated Millie Turner, not to be confused with Millie Bright, Sam Kerr’s bestie who is somehow straight but looks very gay.
Source: Twitter
Linda Caicedo wins the award for most inspiring story at the 2023 Women’s World Cup. At age 18, she is the youngest player on the Colombia National Team.
In 2019, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and she returned to the field in 2021 to win her second Colombian league title. She is a vocal advocate for women athletes in her country, standing up to her federation, and her performance at the World Cup made her a global star.
She scored some beautiful goals at the tournament. And she dedicated them to her girlfriend back home, Valentina.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Katie McCabe had my other favorite goal at the World Cup, putting it in the back of the net from the corner. Hot.
McCabe is the captain of the Ireland Women’s National Team and plays for Arsenal in the Women’s Super League. This was Ireland’s first World Cup appearance, and though they did not advance to the knockout rounds, McCabe’s passion and star has made her a star in her home country.
She was formerly dating her teammate Ruesha Littlejohn, though they appear to have split. But she rides deep with the soccer lesbians.
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Women’s soccer is a mecca for gay women, and watching the games, sharing on social media, and being a passionate member of the fandom makes a huge difference in the outcomes of athletes around the world. You can see the difference in our lifetimes, and who’s been going crazy for women’s sports in the past ten years? Lesbians!!! It’s a virtuous cycle.
Catherine Henderson is a journalist based in Chicago. She has worked at a wide variety of newsrooms, including The Denver Post, Chalkbeat, Business Insider and In These Times, covering education, career development and culture. Catherine holds a master’s and bachelor’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, exploring Chicago, reading LGBTQ lit, and analyzing internet trends.
