It seems hard to believe, but in 2025 there are still gestures that still need courage. Men’s football, that universe full of traditional codes, continues to be one of the spaces where making sexual diversity visible involves breaking barriers. And that is precisely what Alberto Lejárraga has done again.
The goalkeeper of Unión Deportiva San Sebastián de los Reyes recently starred in the first wedding between two men in Spanish professional football. His connection with the artist Rubén Fernández has not only been an intimate and happy moment, but also a step forward in the fight against homophobia on the playing fields.
A “yes, I want” that makes history
The ceremony was held in Mijas, at Hacienda Las Fuentes, and although a few weeks have passed, the images continue to generate emotion. It was Lejárraga himself who shared an emotional compilation online accompanied by these words: “Almost three weeks of these moments, without a doubt one of the best of our lives!”.
But it wasn’t just his words that resonated. So did the message from the wedding photographer, Fran Ortiz, who did not limit himself to capturing images, but expressed a reflection that resonated deeply:
“A gay wedding is important because it is still a brave act. Because even though we are in 2025, there are still corners (and minds) where loving whoever you want seems like a crime.”
I wasn’t exaggerating. Although it may seem that the sport has advanced, reality shows that there is still a lot to say… and to make visible.
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Football and silence: what are we afraid of?
This is not the first time that Alberto Lejárraga breaks the mold. In 2023, when he played for Marbella F.C., he was the first Spanish footballer to declare himself openly gay, doing so after his team’s promotion to Second RFEF. The publication in which he appeared kissing his partner went viral. Thousands of people celebrated his bravery, but the usual questions also arose: why are there still so few footballers who make themselves visible?
In an interview with Diversa magazine, Lejárraga himself was clear:
“If a footballer does not ‘come out’, it is not because he does not want to, it is because he is afraid of what that could mean for his career.”
- Advertisement -And yes, that fear has reasons. The football environment is still permeated with stereotypes that associate masculinity with a single way of being. As if there was only one valid way to inhabit a locker room or celebrate a goal.
Celebrating love is also changing the game
Alberto and Rubén’s wedding is not just a romantic celebration. It is also a political act in the deepest sense: one that speaks of freedom. Of being able to love without fear, of being able to show yourself without filters, of being part of a sport without having to hide who you are.
Referents such as the Australian Josh Cavallo or the Czech Jakub Jankto have also taken important steps, although not without consequences. Cavallo, for example, has acknowledged continuing to receive threats for his sexual orientation. And that says a lot, or perhaps too much, about the type of culture that still predominates in many stadiums.
And now what?
We may not have all the answers. Perhaps there are still few voices that dare to speak openly. But every gesture counts. Every image shared, every visible hug, every wedding like this, adds up.
Will it be enough to change the culture of football? Will it one day stop being news that a professional footballer loves freely? Maybe yes. But, for now, the important thing is that it is already happening.
And whoever wants to dream of being a striker… can also marry the goalkeeper.
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