The out LGBTQ+ England Lionesses playing in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final
The England Lionesses boast a number of out and proud LGBTQ+ footballers. (Getty/PinkNews)
The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup officially got underway on Thursday (20 July) and several England Lionesses will still be scoring one for LGBTQ visibility in football during the tournament.
The Women’s World Cup has seen a record 32 teams compete for football’s biggest prize in Australia and New Zealand throughout July and August, with the final between England Spain set to take place this Sunday (20 August) at the Sydney Olympic Stadium from 11am BST (8pm local time).
It marks England’s first Women’s World Cup final and comes after the Lionesses defeated Australia’s Matildas – another team with an inspiring number of out LGBTQ players – 3-1 in Wednesday’s (16 August) semi-final.
Women’s professional football has long bested the men’s game when it comes to LGBTQ+ representation – and the 2023 Women’s World Cup is no exception, with a record number of out LGBTQ+ footballers taking to the pitch and Canada’s Quinn bringing some joyful trans and non-binary visibility to proceedings.
While out and proud LGBTQ+ England Lionesses Beth Mead and Leah Williamson have sadly been with injury and others like Jill Scott have recently retired, hopes are still high that England can sure their first World Cup victory in Sunday’s final a year after the team scored a historic 2-1 victory over Germany at the 2022 Euros.
Four publicly out and proud players have made England manager Sarina Wiegman’s final squad – here’s your handy guide to the LGBTQ+ England Lionesses and who they’re currently dating.
Rachel Daly – forward
Rachel Daly is a formidable presence on the pitch, with experience playing both as a defender and a forward – though she’ll be playing the the latter position during the World Cup.
Her position up front might have something to do with her recent goal-scoring form: She put away a staggering 22 goals in the 2022–23 Women’s Super League season, winning the Golden Boot and equalling Arsenal star and fellow out player Vivianne Miedema’s record for the most goals scored in a single season.
The Aston Villa star previously played in the US for Houston Dash and was part of the England Lionesses 2022 Euros-winning squad last summer. She’ll be making her World Cup debut in Australia and New Zealand after previously playing for England during two qualifying matches for the 2019 tournament.
Rachel Daly’s partner is Manchester United footballer Millie Turner
Rachel Daly began dating her partner Millie Turner in 2021 and regularly shares pictures of the pair together on social media.
Turner is a fellow pro footballer who has played as a defender for Manchester United since 2018.
She was in the stands to support Daly and the rest of the England Lionesses during their 2-1 victory victory over Germany in the Euros final last summer, with Daly sharing an adorable picture of the pair embracing moments after the win on Instagram.
Daly has previously expressed her hope that the men’s game will catch up with the women’s when it comes to LGBTQ+ representation.
“I think they’ll get there”, Daly told the Daily Mail following England’s Euros win in 2022. “It’s a generational thing, some older people [have a problem with it]. But it’s more common now to accept it and be OK with it.
“I think they’ll lose the stigma eventually.”
Jess Carter – defender
Defender and midfielder Jess Carter made her England debut in 2017 at the age of 20.
The Warwick-born athlete, who also hold American citizenship, joined Chelsea from Birmingham City in 2018 and is contracted to stay with the London club until 2025.
She was part of the England team during the squad’s 2022 Euros victory and will be making her World Cup debut in Australia and New Zealand.
Jess Carter’s partner is her Chelsea teammate Ann-Katrin Berger
Jess Carter is currently dating her Chelsea teammate and Germany national squad member Ann-Katrin Berger – which made for a unique dynamic during the Euros final between England and Germany last summer.
Carter reflected on her relationship with Berger and LGBTQ+ issues in football in an op-ed for England Football to support Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign in 2021.
“I think I was – and probably still am – more comfortable than Ann is with publicising our relationship”, Carter said at the time. “But that is just because Ann is a very private person whereas I am more of a ‘the whole world could know and I wouldn’t really care’ kind of person.
“Over time and because I will say whatever, she has kind of got used to it and goes with it. She doesn’t shout from the rooftop about it but equally when she is asked it is not a secret either.”
While stating that she hadn’t “experienced any negative treatment personally” as an out LGBTQ+ woman in the women’s game, Carter conceded that some players still might not be comfortable coming out publicly and sharing their sexuality with the world.
“I think for a lot of people it might depend on your profile, for example if you are a bigger name player then you might get more scrutiny on it,” she noted. “Also, if your family are not as comfortable about it then it might be harder to make it so public.
“So I think it depends on each person’s private situation. And equally they might just simply view it as it is nobody else’s business so might not want to say. So there could be a lot of reasons but whatever the situation, we should respect each other.”
Bethany England – forward
Another England Lioness who’ll be repping for the LGBTQ+ community at the 2023 FIFA World Cup is forward Bethany England, who was named the Women’s Super League’s Player of the Year for the 2019-2020 season.
The Barnsley-born Tottenham Hotspur star has previously played for Doncaster Rovers Belles, Liverpool and Chelsea and was first called up to play for the England national squad in 2019.
Another veteran of the Lionesses’ triumphant 2022 Euros campaign, England is also making her World Cup debut in Australia and New Zealand.
Bethany England’s parter is Oxford United footballer Stephanie Williams
Bethany England’s partner Stephanie Williams is a fellow professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Oxford United.
England and Williams regularly share images of themselves together on social media, with England dedicated an Instagram post to her partner on Valentine’s Day earlier this year.
A vocal champion of LGBTQ+ visibility in sport, England also shared a picture of herself with Williams during Pride Month in 2020 with a heart and rainbow emoji, declaring in the caption “Proud of who I am.”
Lauren Hemp – forward
Set to turn 23 during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Lauren Hemp is one of the youngest and brightest stars in Sarina Wiegman’s squad and another out LGBTQ+ England Lioness.
The Norfolk-born forward has played for Manchester City since 2018 – the year she helped England’s under-20 team finish third at the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
Named one of UEFA’s 10 players to watch in 2020, Hemp has proved a key part of the England team over the last couple of years, and was part of the heroic effort that saw England lift the 2022 Euros trophy with a 2-1 win over Germany last summer.
In fact, it was Hemp’s corner that set up Chloe Kelly to score the winning second goal at London’s Wembley Stadium.
Lauren Hemp’s partner is Coventry United footballer Ellie Butler
As of 2022, Lauren Hemp was in a relationship with another professional footballer, Ellie Butler, who plays as a forward for Women’s Championship club Coventry United.
What time is the England vs Spain Women’s Word Cup final and where can you watch it?
England will play Spain in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final at Sydney’s Stadium Australia on Sunday (20 August), with kick-off at 11am BST (8pm local time).
You can watch the match live on TV in the UK on BBC One and ITV. BBC One’s coverage is set to be hosted by Gabby Logan, Alex Scott and Reshmin Chowdhury, while ITV’s coverage will be fronted by Laura Woods, Seema Jaswal and Michelle Owen.
Viewers in the UK can also watch live on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport Online.
You can also tune in on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds, where Juliette Ferrington will be presenting pre-coverage from 10am BST ahead of live commentary from 11am BST.
