Winners in Our Eyes

ARTS & CULTURE | GAMES

Written by C Fonseca (they/them) | @c.fonseca06703 | Contributing Writer

Illustration by Ann Mariya (she/her) | @your_love_ann | Contributing Illustrator

One of the most prominent queer moments in women’s football was when Swedish player, Magdalena Eriksson, kissed her partner, Danish player Pernille Harder in the 2019 Women’s World Cup. Last year, the 2023 Women’s World Cup brought a new wave of queer moments, as Australia’s Matildas became unofficially named the gayest team, with 13 out of 23 players in the squad being openly queer.

Having queer players in a sports environment was also put in the spotlight during the Men’s World Cup in 2022. During that year the event was held in Qatar; a country that criminalises homosexuality. Previously, team captains used the ‘One Love’ armband which represented anti-racism, anti-discrimination, LGBTQ+ rights and human rights campaigns started by the Dutch team in 2020. However, this armband was banned in the 2022 World Cup, where players were threatened with sporting sanctions, including card bookings for merely wearing a different armband. This ban continued throughout the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Whilst they were banned from using the armband, the Matildas still captured the queer community’s hearts all over the world because the players were comfortable in their identities. Having openly “out” players meant that the queer community had role models to follow, which was a particularly rare case in sports history. 

As the Matildas progressed through the World Cup, so did their reach. Their World Cup journey started with two wins against Ireland and Canada in the group stage and progressed to the Round of 16, where they won against Denmark. During a face-off against France in the quarterfinals, the crowd witnessed the longest penalty shootout in Women’s World Cup history. Despite their 1-3 loss to the English team in the semi-finals, Sam Kerr scored an incredible goal which was nominated for FIFA 2023 Puskas Award. Their match against England became the most-watched TV program since Cathy Freeman’s 400m final in the 2000 Olympics. Despite not gaining a medal, the Matildas secured their highest-ever finish in the World Cup, reaching an impressive 4th place. While they may have not made it to the podium, the Matildas set a new record for the biggest women’s football crowd, reaching 75,784 people.

Whilst this may seem like a big win for women’s football, it is also a huge win for the queer community. A recent Disney documentary series, Matildas: World At Our Feet, follows the Matildas in their daily lives, including exploring their queer identities, relationships and families. In a sport that is filled with toxic masculinity, it is refreshing to see women who are comfortable in their queer identities be successful in the sport. In the documentary, moments are captured such as Matildas captain and Ballon d'Or Finalist, Sam Kerr, making breakfast for her girlfriend Kristie Mewis. Another shows Dutch footballer Daniëlle van de Donk helping her girlfriend, Matildas defender, Ellie Carpenter, working through an ACL injury. Queer relationships are highlighted throughout, with Tameka Yalllop, current Matildas midfielder and her wife, Kirsty Yallop, both looking after their daughter at the Matildas camp. Matildas: World At Our Feet provides the representation that is often lacking within sports and sports media. For young queer people, this is an important example to show that you can live a normal life and have a successful career without having to hide your identity. Sacrifice is no longer needed, as having one no longer involves requiring to give up the other. The Matildas are truly a beacon of hope to those who are still grasping their identities and sexualities, whilst tackling the homophobia that is unfortunately still within society today.

It is so crucial for queer people to have role models in a society that is heavily filled with heteronormativity. Despite the Matildas only having become more known to the world during the 2023 Women’s World Cup, Sam Kerr has been a constant role model for Australia ever since she debuted for the Matildas at just 15 years old. Kerr has had an extremely successful career, including becoming the highest-scoring player for Australia after surpassing Tim Cahill in January 2022. She also finished as the top goal scorer in three leagues across three different countries and is the only player to have done so. In addition to this, she was also the first female to make the cover of the FIFA video game, alongside Kylian Mbappé. This success is something that stuns Australia and one that queer women hold closely to their hearts. Whilst being a successful striker for the Matildas and Chelsea, Kerr has undoubtedly become known as one of the best football players in the world.

Growing up in a society where being straight is the accepted norm, it is amazing to see Sam Kerr, a queer woman of colour, spotlit in the public eye. Visible in magazines, video games and the media, her career is proof that careers in sports are for everyone. An inspiration for many, the Matildas have shown that they are a compassionate team unphased by toxic heteronormativity within sports, being a blueprint for future queer sportspeople and fans. Despite their loss to England, the Matildas have most definitely won in our eyes and hearts.