After the World Cup there is a warm glow for the success of the event and global acclaim for football generally. It is, however, not as welcoming and all-encompassing as some would have us believe,   and the  LGBTQ+ football charity Kick It Out has shared that it received 203 reports of homophobia in the sport during 2025/26, which marks a 43 percent rise from the previous season.

These troubling statistics have prompted Football v Homophobia, a campaign group that was set up to fight discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in football, to issue an urgent call for action. FvH director Lou Englefield said: “We echo Kick It Out’s concern that divisive political rhetoric in Britain is fuelling discrimination. To combat this, we call on senior leaders in football and all those with influence to take more meaningful steps in support of education, awareness and allyship.”

“LGBTQ+ people feel safer to be themselves when they see action being taken that is inclusive and welcoming, particularly from those they look up to in the sport they love,” Engliefield said. “With more than 1,000 discrimination incidents recorded by Kick It Out last season, football cannot and must not be complacent.”

There was also a 73 percent rise in online hate crime and abuse linked to football.