Wales are officially the gayest team at the 2025 Women’s Euros
Ffion Morgan, Elise Hughes and Kayleigh Barton are LGBTQ+ players on the Welsh 2025 Euro women’s team. (Getty)
Ffion Morgan, Elise Hughes and Kayleigh Barton are LGBTQ+ players on the Welsh 2025 Euro women's team. (Getty)
The Women’s Euros is set to be a tournament packed full of LGBTQ+ stars, and the Wales team are officially leading the pack when it comes to queer representation.
Making their long-awaited debut at a major tournament, the Wales women’s football team are in Group D with France, the Netherlands and England.
Out of all the Women’s Euros teams, Wales have the highest number out LGBTQ+ players in their squad – nine. They kick-off their campaign against the Netherlands on Saturday (5 July).
Women’s professional football has a significant lead over the men’s game in terms of LGBTQ+ representation and the 2023 World Cup and Euro 2025 qualifiers featured a record number of out players.
Here’s a guide to the 2025 Wales Euros LGBTQ+ players.
Kayleigh Barton
Striker Kayleigh Barton plays her club football for Charlton Athletic in the second tier of English football and has 86 international caps, scoring 22 times for her country along the way. She is also the coach of Saltdean United, who play in the London and South East Women’s Regional league.
Kayleigh married her former Brighton teammate Kirsty Barton in 2023. The following year, she swapped her surname (Green) to that of her wife.
“With only a few years left in my football career, I would like to have my married name on my football top so my future kids can see what I achieved,” she said. “The name means a lot to me and my family, it’s something I can look back on with my kids and show them shirts and photos with our family name.”
Jess Fishlock
LGBTQ+ legend Fishlock is the Wales team’s all-time record goal scorer. She’s hit the back of the net 47 times in 162 games for her country, stretching back to 2006.
She was named Welsh footballer of the year in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2019.
Her career has taken her to England, Scotland, Australia, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the US where is signed to Seattle Reign FC – although she has been on loan to teams outside the country since 2013. She has also coached Cardiff City Ladies and Melbourne City.
Fishlock is on record saying that she knew she was a lesbian at the age of 12 and was bullied at school for her sexuality. In 2015, the midfielder expressed her frustration at homophobia in the crowd and on social media.
“There’s a stereotype that everyone [who] plays a women’s sport is gay, which is an obscene stereotype,” she told BBC Sport. “It really shouldn’t be a reason why someone doesn’t play a sport and it certainly shouldn’t be a reason why someone gets abused for playing a sport.”
In 2022, she announced her engagement to fellow Seattle Reign star Tziarra King and they were married in Wales the following year.
Elise Hughes
Elise Hughes is a forward for Women’s Super League club Crystal Palace, having also played for Everton and Charlton Athletic.
Having come through the ranks of the junior teams, she has appeared for her country at senior level 31 times, scoring three goals. She missed the Euro qualifiers with a serious knee injury.
In March, Hughes used Instagram to announce her relationship with Palace teammate Annabel Blanchard. The pair uploaded a post together with two emoji hearts.
In 2022, she shared her coming out story, where her mother told her: “Never think that I’d think any differently of you. As long as you’re happy, I’m happy.”
Sophie Ingle
Lesbian player Sophie Ingle is a former captain of the national team.
The defender has played for Bristol Academy, Cardiff City and Liverpool but is currently without a club after leaving Chelsea at the end of the season having rejoined them in 2018.
She missed the entire 2024-25 season with a serious knee injury.
Ingle married her partner in 2022, sharing pictures of the day on Instagram. “We had the most perfect day imaginable and were lucky enough to share it with our amazing family and friends,” she wrote. “I got to marry the most beautiful person and I can’t wait for the next chapter of our lives together.”
Angharad James-Turner
Angharad James-Turner, born Angharad James, is a midfielder who plies her trade with Seattle Reign in the US.
In 2013 and 2014, she was named Wales women’s young player of the year. Then in 2017, she was women players’ player of the year.
At 28, she became was the youngest player in Welsh history to win 100 international caps. Before getting married Angharad James also played for Notts County, Everton, Reading and Spurs, then Orlando Pride and North Carolina Courage on the other side of the Atlantic.
Angharad announced her engagement to then Manchester United defender Amy Turner in 2020. They were married in 2023. In 2024, she began playing under her double-barrelled married name.
Hayley Ladd
Ladd plays in defence or midfield for Women’s Super League club Everton, having moved from Manchester United earlier this year. She was born in England but can play for Wales because of her father, who is from Pembrokeshire.
She joined Arsenal’s development academy when she was nine and has won 105 Welsh caps.
Ladd announced her engagement to former England midfielder Levi-Chambers Cook in June 2021. She regularly posts with her fiancée, including pictures of festive trips to London and weekends in the Lake District.
Ffion Morgan
Ffion Morgan is a striker for Championship club Bristol City.
Formerly a defender, she has also played for Cardiff City, Coventry United and Crystal Palace. She has represented her country 43 times.
Morgan is in a relationship with Lia Cataldo, a former Bristol and Crystal Palace defender, who now plays for Newcastle United.
Just last week, Morgan posted a vlog on Instagram with her girlfriend, in which she documented her family holiday, included a football match in the sun.
Rachel Rowe
Rowe is a forward for Championship club Southampton. She made her international debut in 2015 and has gone on to win 76 caps.
She got her start playing for a local boys’ youth team but was scouted by Swansea City Ladies’ youth academy.
In 2019, she told Shekicks magazine: “Football has always been my emotional release. It makes me forget about everything else and I just focus on the game.”
Rowe’s partner, Ffion, shared a message ahead of a game against the Republic of Ireland, saying: “You’ve faced your fair share of challenges in life but you’ve taken every one in your stride. This will be no exception because you choose courage every time. You should be so proud of yourself.”
Lily Woodham
Defender Woodham has been playing for Women’s Super League club Crystal Palace, on loan from US outfit Seattle Reign.
She made her international debut in 2020 and has gone on to score three goals in 39 appearances. One of those helped Wales secure qualification for this year’s Euros.
Speaking to Sport Wales about coming out experience, when she was 17, she said everyone close to her had been supportive.
“The women’s game is different to the men’s game,” she added. In men’s football you still don’t get that many players coming out and it still makes massive headlines when they do.
“Perhaps there is still fear because there are fans who might throw abuse at you. Our game is different. I can say that no one has ever said anything abusive to me at a game, or on social media, or anywhere else.
“I’ve never been made to feel uncomfortable. Hopefully, it will become like that in men’s football.”
The Women’s Euros kick off in Switzerland on Wednesday (2 July). Coverage in the UK is on BBC and ITV. You can read more LGBTQ+ Women’s Euros 1025 coverage here.
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