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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina. The interview in which Nacho Lago, a player for Colón de Santa Fe, receives a heartfelt message of support from his boyfriend marks a turning point in the history of Argentine football. The conversation, in which he speaks quite naturally about, among other things, his relationship with his boyfriend, was published on the official Club Atlético Colón YouTube channel on July 20, 2025. Although there was no media coverage at the time, he is the first professional first-division footballer in Argentina to publicly come out as gay. In fact, he had already done so previously when he shared photos of himself with his boyfriend on Instagram.

It went viral yesterday, embraced by various online communities, and became news. Coincidentally, on the same day, President Javier Milei responded to a post by X that used a homophobic metaphor to attack a journalist, following the same line of reasoning. Milei's LGBT hateful comments are not new; they made global headlines at the Davos2025 Forum.

Nacho Lago is 23 years old and has been playing for Colón for three years. The Sabalero fans say he's the club's best player, and also one of its most beloved. In the interview that went viral, conducted by journalists Juanchi Molina and Luciana Trinchieri on the program "Sangre y Luto" (a fan program launched by the club's previous administration), Nacho explains that he's from Isidro Casanova and started playing in the youth divisions of Almirante Brown. He also shares some experiences as a player for the Sabalero team and the support of his family and partner during his recovery from an injury that kept him off the field. The production team surprised him with a video recorded by his loved ones: his grandparents and his partner.

“I know you have a dream, I love you very much and thank you for defending the colors of my city,” he says in that message that went viral on Sunday.

In the clip that went viral, the host uses the term "irrational feeling" to explain the passion Colón inspires in its fans. Nacho adds that her boyfriend is also very passionate and has been a fan since childhood. And that theirs "is also an irrational love, at least the way we experience it; we try to express what we feel."

The release of the video generated expressions of support and affection from very diverse sectors.

“This is beautiful! And even more beautiful is the reaction on social media and in the public debate in favor of true love. Good for both of them! Good for @ColonOficial and good for Argentine society, which is making history again. Nacho is also a great player. The best for Colón. Here's to more visibility and more love!” said Congressman Esteban Paulón on X.

This is beautiful! And even more beautiful is the reaction on social media and in the public debate in favor of true love.
Good for both of them! Good for @ColonOficial and good for Argentine society, which is making history again.
Besides, Nacho is a great player. The best for Colón.
Here's to more… https://t.co/fTknlUnuSI

— Esteban Paulón (@EstebanPaulon) April 6, 2026

Spokespeople for Colón reported that neither the club nor the player will make any statements on the matter.

The message from basketball player Sebastián Vega

In July 2025, basketball player Sebastián Vega, captain of Boca Juniors, also sent a powerful message by winning the National Basketball League championship for the second consecutive year. He celebrated the achievement with the Pride flag in one hand and the trophy in the other. “Everyone can be who they want to be,” he said amidst the celebrations.

He was the first basketball player in Argentina to speak openly about his gay sexual orientation. “I’m very grateful because my teammates always let me be myself, and that made me feel very comfortable on the court,” he told the sports daily Olé at the time.

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“Sport has the power to change prejudices.”

“Sport has the power to change perceptions, prejudices, and behaviors: it should not be used to reinforce them. Therefore, we urge elite sports bodies to consider the implications of their decisions not only for LGBT and intersex athletes and people who participate in sports at all levels, but also for general societal perceptions and the ideal of inclusive sport,” says the Report on the Protection of Human Rights in Sport without Discrimination, prepared by a group of United Nations experts and published in October 2023.

The report urges states and sports organizations to respect the right of all people to participate in cultural life through sport and games. It also calls for addressing discrimination against athletes, especially women, girls, LGBT people, and people of intersex descent. 

A couple of years earlier, The Trevor Project investigated the participation of LGBT youth in sports. Their September 2021 indicates that only 32% of LGBT youth participated in sports for a league, school, or community club, compared to 68% who never participated. The reasons they give for not participating are the violence and exclusion they experience from coaches, other students, and their families. In trans and non-binary populations, 52% said they do not participate in sports due to a lack of interest combined with the stigma they face and fear of harassment and intimidation. 

Building positive role models in sports like football is crucial to fostering diversity, promoting more equal societies, and eradicating prejudices based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics.

In this article you can read more stories about sport as a human right and LGBT people.