Published by Jon Holmes on
North Carolina FC’s Collin Martin chats on new episode of Football v Homophobia Podcast; midfielder is the only out gay player in U.S. men’s soccer; he’s excited for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in his homeland and what it will offer LGBTQ+ supporters from across the globe; listen to the episode in full now…
By Jon Holmes
Collin Martin says having Pride Houses in as many venue cities as possible will be of “huge” importance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Preparations continue for the next edition of the most popular sports event on Planet Earth. The tournament, expanded to feature 48 national teams, will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
Martin is taking a keen interest. As the only American in the small group of out gay or bi professionals currently active in the men’s game, he wants his homeland to be truly welcoming for LGBTQ+ supporters during the World Cup summer.
A post shared by Collin Martin (@cm7md)
Memories are still strong of the many barriers that fans from the community faced around Qatar 2022. Very few gay fans travelled to the Gulf state, where homosexuality is illegal.
At the matches and in fan zones, there were several reports of rainbow items being confiscated, while the conversations about being LGBTQ+ that played out during the tournament were often reductive and at worst, offensive.
Martin, who made over 40 appearances in MLS for D.C. United and Minnesota United, believes the Pride House projects in 2026 can help move men’s football forward again.
The majority of host cities already have plans to create LGBTQ+-friendly spaces which will be hubs to watch the action live, meet other fans, and learn more about inclusion.
Asked about Pride Houses on a new episode of the Football v Homophobia Podcast, Martin said: “I think they’re huge. I think they’re exciting. I can’t wait to be a part of them myself.
“They’re a place for people to go to feel safe, whether you’re part of the community or not. And I think it’s going to be a stark contrast from Qatar and how openly against that they were, of the LGBTQ community coming full stop to the World Cup.
“It’s going to be, I hope, the most accepting World Cup that’s ever been put on. And I think that there’s going to be a ton of gay fans that are going to come to the US for these games.
“They need to know that there’s Pride Houses for them at a lot of different venues, so I’m excited and I definitely hope to be a part of them.”
A post shared by Space City Pride FC (@spacecitypridefc)
Martin is coming towards the conclusion of his first season at North Carolina FC, who are bidding to seal a USL Championship playoffs spot this weekend.
He’s widely known for his previous stint with San Diego Loyal, and in particular an incident in 2020 in which his teammates walked off the field in protest after an opposition player directed a homophobic slur at him. The walkoff meant the Loyal forfeited the match, ending their playoff hopes.
There was an outpouring of support for Martin from across the football community, and his experience became an important learning moment.
In recent weeks, FIFA has introduced a new measure in its attempt to prevent discriminatory incidents in games leading to teams walking off in protest. Players who witness or are subjected to abuse are being urged to used a crossed arms gesture, heavily promoted by President Gianni Infantino, to alert officials to what has happened.
A post shared by Gianni Infantino – FIFA President (@gianni_infantino)
The instruction has been enacted by FIFA to tackle racism although anti-discrimination organisation Fare says it should be available for players to signal any and all forms of discrimination.
No player is yet known to have made the gesture in a match and Martin says he would need more information before forming an opinion on how effective it might be.
However, he did stress on the podcast that it’s entirely unrealistic to think someone targeted for abuse on the field could just refocus.
“It’s a tricky situation but you have to be able to support players, fans, coaches, referees from any type of abuse and you can’t expect someone just to have to play on or play through that,” he explains.
“It’s just wrong to begin with, but then ultimately it’s going to lead to a reaction of some sort that is not going to be helpful for eradicating that type of hate.”
The strongest of human emotions would understandably be running high and Martin suggests a walk-off is a favourable recourse compared to what could feasibly happen in such a scenario.
“You can take that however you want. If the reaction is, I go and punch the player in the face, that is a reaction that is ultimately going to be equally detrimental to the game, and to the people that are taking part in the game, as to if I tell a referee that there was a homophobic slur,” he adds.
“So I think there’s right things you can do in the moment and there’s wrong things – and the most wrong thing is to just acknowledge that it’s going to continue to happen and there’s nothing we can do about it.”
It’s a concern that Martin holds in the context of FIFA’s ongoing mixed messages, in which it continues to amplify Pride Month while also enthusiastically promoting sponsorship from Saudi Arabia, which is poised to be the confirmed host of the 2034 World Cup.
Coupled with that is the communications around the new gesture, which specifies “racist abuse” and “taking a stand against racism” at a time when anti-LGBTQ+ abuse is also increasingly prevalent.
“If FIFA doesn’t want any clear expression of support for the LGBTQ community, then how are they going to want any real solidarity for when there’s discrimination? We can’t be expecting that, can we?” adds Martin.
On the podcast episode, Martin also discusses his passion for art and art history, moving across country to Raleigh with his boyfriend Zach, his great friendship with teammate Evan Conway, and much more.
Discover how you can support the Football v Homophobia campaign through education and resources on the FvH website – and for more from Collin, listen to the FvH Podcast!
Further reading…
Collin Martin feels more confident than ever as an out gay athlete now chasing the playoffs (Outsports, October 2024)
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