A FIFA-ranked referee in Brazil says he hopes his announcement that he is gay will inspire others in soccer. The 41-year-old Igor Benevenuto is one of the country's main video assistant referees, and he also takes charge of some matches in Brazil's top two divisions. Benevenuto said he had used his referee's job to hide.

"Soccer was for men and since an early age I knew I was gay. There was not a more perfect place to hide my sexuality," Benevenuto told TV Globo in a show broadcast on Sunday. "Playing wasn't an option, so I took the only road I had." Benevenuto now wants his announcement to help others. "There are many gay people in soccer," he said, adding that the vast majority still feel they can't talk openly. "We exist and we deserve to speak about it, live normal lives."