Josh Cavallo says teammates and opposition players have privately come out to him
"There’s teammates I’ve been in changing rooms with that message me privately," said Cavallo
By Aaron Sugg
Trailblazing Australian footballer Josh Cavallo has opened up about closeted athletes who have confided in him about their sexualities.
After becoming the first active male professional footballer to come out as gay publicly, Cavallo, 26, has continued to uplift LGBTQ+ people in sport.
At the time of playing for Adelaide United in his home country of Australia in 2021, the former Attitude cover star announced on social media: “I’m a footballer and I’m gay.”
Who does footballer Josh Cavallo play for?
Four years later in 2025, he began a new chapter, moving to the UK with fiancé Leighton Morrell, signing to his first international football club, Peterborough Sports.
Since beginning his new life in the UK, Cavallo has waved the flag for LGBTQ+ men in sport, previously admitting he is mentoring closeted footballers to help them find the right path to come out publicly.
Doubling down on his role as a trailblazing figure in sport, he revealed that teammates and even rivals have confided in him about their sexualities.
“There’s teammates I’ve been in changing rooms with” – Cavallo revealing football players have confided in him about their sexualities
Speaking on the It Started With A Kiss podcast, hosted by I Kissed a Boy and I Kissed a Girl alumni Gareth Valentino and Amy Spalding, Cavallo said he has been privately messaged by closeted players.
“There’s opposition players I’ve played against, there’s teammates I’ve been in changing rooms with that message me privately and say, ‘Hey, this is what I identify as. I am in the LGBTQ+ space and thank you so much for being the representation.’
“And some people want to come out now, some people want to come out next week, or in a month’s time, in five years. Some people don’t want to come out at all.”
Why did Cavallo leave Adelaide United?
Cavallo highlighted the risks LGBTQ+ footballers face globally, saying: “The thing is, football is huge in countries where LGBTQ+ representation doesn’t exist and people are put in prison and face death penalties as well – not even almost, it is death penalties.”
Even in Australia, where the government provides strong legal protections for LGBTQ+ individuals, Cavallo has previously said he was driven out of his former team due to alleged homophobia.
Detailing his departure on social media in January this year, Cavallo wrote: “Leaving the club had nothing to do with football. Decisions were made by people in power that blocked my opportunities, not because of my talent, but because of who I choose to love. Under the new management, it became clear that I wasn’t allowed on the pitch because of politics. It’s hard to swallow when I realised my own club was homophobic.”
“The club is extremely disappointed by the claims” – Adelaide United denying Cavallo’s statement alleging homophobia
Adelaide United soon after denied the claims, writing on social media: “The club is extremely disappointed by the claims made and categorically rejects the allegations, including any suggestion that Adelaide United is homophobic. All on-field decisions relating to team selection are made solely on footballing grounds.”
Cavallo’s experiences as an openly LGBTQ+ athlete have led to him joining the production team of Armour, a new series starring Jordan Luke Gage exploring the fallout of a Premier League footballer coming out.
He spoke exclusively to Attitude about his role in the upcoming project: “There’s never been an openly gay footballer actively playing in the English Premier League, and I understand how challenging navigating that environment can be.”
Cavallo will be advising Jordan Luke Gage and the production team in upcoming football series Armour
“I was drawn to the project because it places a gay footballer at the centre for the first time and sends a powerful message to those watching and playing in silence,” he continued
Cavallo will be advising Gage and the production team, bringing his own experience as an LGBTQ+ footballer to the story’s narrative.
It Started With A Kiss is available to stream on YouTube and all other podcasting platforms.