EXCLUSIVE: Josh Cavallo on paving the way and a move to Europe 🏳️‍🌈 | OneFootball

Back in 2021, Josh Cavallo became famous around the world overnight as he made the landmark decision to, as an active male professional footballer playing in the top flight in Australia, come out as gay.

During Pride Month, Josh sat down in Berlin with OneFootball to talk about coming out, creating a safe space for the LGBTQIA+ community in football, a potential transfer to Europe, countries he will not play in and much more.

Looking back three years since his life-changing and ground-breaking announcement, the 24-year-old is continuing to pave the way for football to become a more inclusive game and a safe space for everyone.

The decision to come out publicly was about Cavallo being free to live his life as himself — "For me it was my own path and my own journey, I was ready to take that step" — but it also sent a message that football can be that safe space.

"The impact it's had around the world," Cavallo starts proudly, "with kids, with people older than me who were playing the sport and turned away from the game and are now playing football again because there's hope and they feel like there's a safe space, that they can be included and that it is an inclusive environment. Football can be your home no matter where you are across the world."

That doesn't mean everything has been easy, but that has not deterred the Adelaide United midfielder.

"You can send all the negativity my way," Cavallo smiles. "That's not going to affect me or stop me from continuing and doing what I'm doing.

"There are challenges that I'm working through, roads that are hard. But I'll get there and try to pave the way so in 10 years time the next Josh doesn't have to go through this, doesn't face these challenges, and younger kids make a deal of it.

"In the world of football everyone goes, 'Who cares?', but they don't see the attacks, the negativity, the influence on countries where the LGBTQIA+ community is banned, sent to jail, killed, (and) death penalties are sent our way. And in countries where football is huge. It needs to happen to make people aware of what's going on."

From there, the topic of what more clubs and federations can do to make football a safe space comes up.

"In 2024 it's not good enough to have [an international] tournament in a country that encourages 'discipline' or encourages negativity, sentences against LGBTQIA+ people," says Cavallo.

"It's no different to our background or racism, for us it's being who we are and we can't be in a country that's huge for football, you can't play for your country at a World Cup because of who you are as a person? This is ridiculous, this shouldn't even be a topic."

Cavallo says there are countries he "won't play in or step foot in" as a result of coming out, but he is proud of the pathways he is creating for those who may follow.

"It has stopped me from going to certain countries to play, opportunities to get contracts. It has put me in a limited box. I'm aware of that but I'm the first footballer to do this and I know there are consequences, but there are pathways I'm creating for everyone now and for future generations to find themselves."

Speaking of contracts and playing outside of Australia, it's clear that Cavallo, an ambitious and driven athlete, has his eyes on the future.

The 24-year-old highlights transfers that are now showing the quality and the growth of the A-League. Recent windows have seen former Adelaide United team-mates and Australian internationals Joe Gauci (Aston Villa) and Nestory Irankunda (Bayern Munich) make big moves to Europe, as has fellow international Garang Kuol (Newcastle United).

"It is a dream," Cavallo says of making a move to Europe.

"I'm still quite young, 24, (and) I'm waiting for the right opportunity to come my way. Not necessarily any team, the right fit for me, the right playing style, the right environment. But definitely, a move overseas, to Europe, is on the cards."

As the conversation about a potential life abroad continues, attention turns to initiatives such as Stonewall's Rainbow Laces campaign in the Premier League, and the USWNT, who just a week before we sat down, took to the field with the colours of the Pride flag filling their shirt numbers.

"It's a fantastic step but it needs to be continuous, it needs to be an ongoing campaign and ongoing awareness that we are creating a safe space. It's great for player(s) to wear that but the children watching, the mums watching, the dads, the grandparents, it's creating an impact to say it's a safe place for your brother, your sister, your mum, your dad or whoever it is, to be who they are. It's important to keep going with this and not just during Pride month.

"We need this just not for one game, or one month, but to continue repeating this so people learn this cycle."

Over in France, an anti-homophobia matchday towards the end of the season was marred by Monaco midfielder Mohamed Camara covering up logos promoting the campaign on his shirt. Camara has since been handed a four-match ban.

"I think the sentence should've been more," Cavallo says. "There's no tolerance for this.

"Any other situation gets treated much more harshly. I think in terms of the LGBTQIA+ space it's not good enough, it's not what we want to look up to as footballers and with young kids seeing this behaviour."

There is a recognisable hunger about the Adelaide United player, who also speaks of his desire to play for the Australia men's national team. After a long path back from injuries, Cavallo says there's a "fire in his belly" ahead of pre-season.

The decision to come out publicly at just 21 didn't spark a wave of other announcements in the men's game, as some thought it might, but that was never the point of his announcement.

"We didn't know the result (before announcing his coming out)," he says.

"In terms of my story there's no regret, I'd 100% do it again if I had the opportunity. I can't control anyone else's decision but it's very difficult, there's a lot of negativity and backlash once you've done it, so I understand (if) people don't want to do this, I understand if they don't want to do the same thing I did, because it's very difficult, it's very tough on top of being the best footballer you can.

"The reality is it is very negative in football. A lot of people have something to say about it and want to say something to put you down. I know I have to block this out and continue to be who I am. And I am! I'm living happily, I'm living freely, I'm so happy to be here and be a footballer still and nobody is stopping me."

Now engaged — Cavallo proposed to his partner on the pitch at Adelaide United's Coopers Stadium — there are clearly no regrets.

"If I had to change one thing I would've done it sooner. I get to live my life how I want to live it now every day."

And what can others as individuals do as allies to make football a better, more inclusive place?

"Make the space welcoming. My team did that for me. They made me feel that this is a home where I can be myself and not be judged, and my coaches did this for me."

Cavallo refers to support from not just his club but clubs across Australia and around the world as "phenomenal".

"They created a free space of 'You can say what you like, dress how like, look how you like, at the end of the day if you're performing on the football pitch nobody cares about anything else'. I think that's an important step in creating a friendly environment for everyone to feel safe together."

And that means not just during Pride, but fostering an inclusive, welcoming environment for all, all year round.