Sam Kerr got married to a woman. Bethany England posted wedding photos with a woman. You see two players on Instagram, holding hands, and suddenly, you are searching. Who else? Which ones? How many are there actually?
A lot.
Football lesbian players are all over the top of the women’s game. They captain WSL clubs. They win World Cups. They score in the Champions League finals. They are marrying each other, having babies together, and doing magazine covers. The women’s game has built something the men’s game still has not. A sport where being gay costs you nothing.
Confirmed Football Lesbian Players
1. Sam Kerr
Sam Kerr plays striker for Chelsea in the WSL. She captains the Australian Matildas. Here is her recent story.
Ker tore her ACL in January 2024, missing 20 months of football. She came back in September 2025 as a substitute against Aston Villa. She scored her 100th Chelsea goal that game. In April 2026, she scored twice against Everton and equalled the all-time Chelsea WSL scoring record.
She is the most famous Australian popular lesbian footballer on earth. She married American soccer player Kristie Mewis in December 2025. Their son was born in May 2025. She came back from injury.
2. Sophie Ingle
Sophie Ingle plays for Bristol City in WSL2, signed in August 2025. She is openly lesbian.
Ingie left Chelsea in May 2025 after 214 WSL appearances. She was Chelsea’s most capped WSL player ever.
3. Ashleigh Neville
Ashleigh Neville plays for Leicester City in the WSL. Neville married her wife Liz in June 2022.
Before signing for Leicester in January 2026, she spent nine years at Tottenham Hotspur. She made 191 appearances for Spurs. She was the first Tottenham player to reach 100 WSL appearances.
4. Bethany England
Bethany England plays for Tottenham Hotspur in the WSL. She is their captain. She is the standout English lesbian player in the game right now. She married Welsh professional footballer Stephanie Williams on 7 June 2025.
England was also the first WSL player to score 25 goals at two different clubs.
5. Magdalena Eriksson
Magdalena Eriksson plays centre-back for Bayern Munich in Germany’s Bundesliga. She is openly in a same-sex relationship with Danish midfielder Pernille Harder. Harder also plays in the Bundesliga. Both are among the most recognised female gay footballers across Europe. They have never hidden their relationship. Not once.
6. Demi Stokes
Demi Stokes plays for Newcastle United Women in the Women’s Championship.
She left Manchester City in 2024 after nine years at the club, where she won three FA Cups. She was also part of the England squad that won UEFA Euro 2022.
Stokes is engaged to Katie Harrington. She has spoken openly about being gay in an interview with DIVA Magazine. Her son, Harlen, was born in May 2022.
She is now helping lead Newcastle United Women as they push for promotion to the Women’s Super League.
7. Shelina Zadorsky
Shelina Zadorsky plays for Tottenham Hotspur Women in the Women’s Super League.
She was previously linked to her Tottenham teammate Rosella Ayane, with reports of their relationship confirmed in September 2022.
Zadorsky has also spoken in an interview with DIVA Magazine about her personal life and experiences as a professional footballer.
8. Guro Reiten
Guro Reiten plays for Gotham FC in the NWSL in New York. She joined them in March 2026 on a deal until 2029. She left Chelsea after 207 appearances and 59 goals across six years. She won five WSL titles at Chelsea.
Guro came out as a lesbian in 2022 in an interview with Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang. She spoke out right after the Oslo shooting. Her partner Julie Nilssen gave birth to their son in November 2025.
She is becoming one of the most celebrated lesbian football players in the game today.
9. Danielle van de Donk
Danielle van de Donk plays for London City Lionesses in the Women’s Super League. She previously played for Lyon in France.
She is openly queer and is in a relationship with Australian defender Ellie Carpenter. They met at Lyon after Van de Donk joined the club in 2021, and their relationship became public in 2022.
The couple got engaged on 1 January 2024 during a trip to the Maldives. They married in June 2025 in France.
10. Manuela Zinsberger
Manuela Zinsberger is the goalkeeper for Arsenal Women in the Women’s Super League.
She announced her engagement in March 2022 and married her wife, Madeleine, in June 2023. The couple welcomed their son, Marvis, in July 2024.
Zinsberger has shared key moments of her life publicly, including engagement photos, wedding photos, and the birth announcement, with strong support from Arsenal fans each time.
11. Marta
Marta plays for Orlando Pride in the NWSL. She is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in women’s football history and one of Brazil’s most iconic footballers.
She previously had a relationship with Orlando Pride teammate Toni Pressley, which ended before she later married fellow Pride defender Carrie Lawrence.
Marta and Carrie Lawrence got married in Florida on 2 January 2026.
She remains one of the most influential figures in the women’s game, known globally for her long-standing impact and legacy in football.
12. Ramona Bachmann
Ramona Bachmann plays for Servette FC Chênois Féminin in Switzerland’s top division.
She came out publicly as a lesbian during the 2015 Women’s World Cup in Canada, a moment that was widely noted in women’s football.
Bachmann later confirmed a relationship with Swiss teammate Alisha Lehmann before it became public knowledge.
In 2023, Bachmann married French dance professor Charlotte Baret.
Her decision to come out on a World Cup stage in 2015 was a significant moment in her career and in women’s football, and it is still remembered as a courageous step.
Strong Public Evidence: Female Gay Footballers Widely Known in the Game
These female soccer players are publicly known through confirmed relationships, magazine features, and their own statements.
13. Lauren Hemp
Lauren Hemp is one of Manchester City’s key attacking players, known for creating chances and influencing games in the WSL.
She has been reported to be in a relationship with Sheffield United midfielder Ashley Hodson since 2023, with coverage of their relationship appearing in media outlets including DIVA Magazine.
She is also among the more visible openly female gay players in English women’s football.
14. Katie McCabe
Katie McCabe is the captain of Arsenal Women in the Women’s Super League. She is openly lesbian.
She has been in a relationship with Arsenal teammate and Australia international Caitlin Foord since May 2023. The two are both club teammates and partners.
Before that, McCabe was in a long-term relationship with Irish international Ruesha Littlejohn from 2016 to 2023.
She has been featured by Gay Times Magazine and is widely recognised both for her visibility off the pitch and her quality as one of the top left-backs in the Women’s Super League.
15. Leah Williamson
Leah Williamson is the captain of Arsenal Women in the Women’s Super League and also the England national team captain.
She has spoken publicly about being part of the LGBTQ+ community and identifies as bisexual.
In her personal life, Williamson has been linked with former Miss USA and model Elle Smith since 2024, though she keeps her private life relatively low-profile.
Williamson is recognised both for her leadership at club and international level and for her role as one of the most prominent openly LGBTQ+ figures in women’s football.
16. Ruesha Littlejohn
Ruesha Littlejohn plays for Athlone Town in Ireland’s League of Ireland Women’s Premier Division.
She has been in a relationship with former England international Jade Moore since February 2024.
Before that, she was in a long-term relationship with Katie McCabe from 2016 to 2023.
Littlejohn has lived much of her personal life openly while continuing her professional football career, and she remains a respected figure in the women’s game.
17. Aurora Galli
Aurora Galli plays as a midfielder for Everton Women in the Women’s Super League and the Italy national team.
She is in a relationship with Swedish international Nathalie Björn, who plays for Chelsea Women in the WSL.
They play in different clubs and leagues, but their relationship has been publicly mentioned while they keep most of their private life low-profile.
18. Vivianne Miedema
Vivianne Miedema plays for Manchester City in the Women’s Super League and represents the Netherlands national team.
She is in a relationship with England international Beth Mead, who plays for Arsenal Women. The two are well known as a couple in women’s football and have both competed in the WSL at the top level.
Before that, Miedema was in a long-term relationship with Scottish footballer Lisa Evans.
Miedema is one of the most prolific forwards in WSL history and remains a key figure in English women’s football.
19. Rachel Daly
Rachel Daly plays for Aston Villa in the Women’s Super League.
She has been in a relationship with Aston Villa teammate Sarah Mayling, with reports of their engagement in November 2024.
Before that, Daly was in a relationship with Kristie Mewis.
Earlier in her career, she was also linked with Manchester United defender Millie Turner.
Daly is a versatile forward and defender, known for her consistency and long career in both the WSL and international football.
20. Kit Graham
Kit Graham plays for Tottenham Hotspur in the Women’s Super League.
She has been in a long-term relationship with April Bowers for several years.
She represents the quieter side of female gay players in professional football.
21. Merel van Dongen
Merel van Dongen plays for Atlético Madrid in Spain’s Liga F.
She has been engaged to Spanish footballer Ana Romero since December 2021.
The couple welcomed their daughter, Ibbie Van Dongen Romero, in August 2024.
Van Dongen is one of the lesbian football players competing at the highest level while also building a family life, with her journey publicly acknowledged and celebrated in women’s football.
Careful Additions
Here are other female footballers keeping consistent, credible signals. Direct public confirmation is lighter.
22. Sjoeke Nüsken
Sjoeke Nüsken plays for Chelsea Women in the WSL.
She has been linked in football circles with a same-sex relationship, though she has not spoken publicly about it.
She is one of the female gay players competing at the top level in Europe, developing her career in the WSL with Chelsea.
23. Kyra Cooney-Cross
Kyra Cooney-Cross plays for Arsenal Women and the Australian Matildas.
She is openly part of the LGBTQ+ community and represents a new generation of female gay players in elite football.
Kyra Cooney-Cross is also one of the most followed young midfielders in the WSL and a rising Australian popular lesbian footballer in the global game.
She won the Champions League with Arsenal in 2024/25.
24. Lucy Bronze
Lucy Bronze plays for Barcelona in Spain’s Liga F and represents England.
She has publicly acknowledged her queer identity.
As of 2025, she has been in a relationship with Spanish international Ona Batlle, who was also her teammate at Barcelona.
Her career and personal life have been covered in LGBTQ+ sport media, including PinkNews.
There have also been long-standing rumours linking her with Keira Walsh during their time at Barcelona, but nothing has ever been officially confirmed.
25. Erin Cuthbert
Erin Cuthbert plays for Chelsea Women in the Women’s Super League.
She is part of the group of modern female gay players in elite football, but she keeps her personal life private. That is her right.
Erin Cuthbert’s Chelsea WSL career has been steady and consistent, and she remains an important midfield presence for the club and Scotland.
26. Tessel Middag
Tessel Middag plays for Wellington Phoenix in New Zealand’s A-League Women.
She moved to New Zealand for personal reasons linked to her partner, who is from the country, as she confirmed in a public interview.
She has been in a long-term relationship for over two years, and while she did not publicly confirm gender details, she remains part of broader discussions around football lesbian players in the professional game.
Tessel Middag’s Wellington Phoenix move reflects how players balance football careers and personal life across different leagues.
Why the Women’s Game Got Here First
Men’s football in 2026 still has very few openly gay players at the top level.
Women’s football is different. This list alone shows 26 openly visible players.
Female gay footballers are winning WSL titles this season. Lesbian female soccer players are lifting Champions League trophies. Out female gay players have also won World Cups, Euros, and league titles across multiple continents.
They are not losing places in squads or being pushed out for being open. Many continue to secure contracts, win trophies, and perform at the highest level of the game.
These lesbian football players did not set out as a movement. They simply showed up as themselves, one player at a time, one relationship at a time, and the sport adjusted around them.
