Adelaide United midfielder Josh Cavallo revealed that he was gay, becoming the first openly homosexual footballer to come out while still playing in Australia's A-League.

"I'm a footballer and I'm gay," the 21-year-old declared on social media, prompting supportive comments from his team, the A-League and Football Australia. Cavallo, who has represented Australia at under-20 level, said he no longer wanted to keep his sexuality a secret. "All I want to do is play football and be treated equally," he said. "Trying to perform at the best of your ability and to live this double life, it's exhausting, it's something I don't want anyone to experience." Despite football's immense popularity worldwide only a few footballers have come out as gay, mostly after they retire to avoid the prospect of homophobic taunts from the terraces.