Josh Cavallo, an Australian professional soccer player for Adelaide United, is engaged to his now fiancé, Leighton Morrell.
The athlete, who is the only openly gay male professional soccer player, announced the news via his Instagram post on Wednesday, sharing photos of him proposing to Morrell in the middle of Coopers Stadium field where his team plays.
One snap features Cavallo, 24, kneeling down on one knee while Morrell sweetly covers his face during the proposal. Another shows a close-up photo of the couple holding hands, displaying the engagement ring on Morrell's finger.
"Starting this year with my fiancé 💍❤️," he captioned the post. "Mr & Mr Coming soon 🤍."
"You're endless support has meant so much to me," the soccer player continued. "You have provided a safe space in football, one that I never in my dreams thought could ever be possible, and encouraged me to live everyday of my life authentically. It felt right to share this special moment on the pitch, where it all started ⚽️."
Cavallo also thanked Adelaide United in the caption for helping him set up the surprise proposal plan.
In October 2021, Cavallo posted a statement and video on his Instagram to come out publicly as a gay man.
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Cavallo recalled in the statement that growing up he said he "always felt the need to hide myself because I was ashamed."
"Ashamed I would never be able to do what I loved and be gay. Hiding who I truly am, to pursue a dream I always wished for as a kid, to play football and be treated equally never felt like a reality," he continued, adding that he had had "to learn to mask my feelings in order to fit the mould of a professional footballer."
Noting that there are currently no other professional soccer players around the world who are openly gay, Cavallo said in the statement at the time that he hoped "this will change in the near future."
"I hope that in sharing who I am, I can show others who Identify as LGBTQ+ that they are welcome in the football community," he concluded before expressing his gratitude to his family, friends and his team for their support.
Shortly after his announcement, Cavallo received support from other soccer legends including Gerard Piqué, Rio Ferdinand, Raphaël Varane, Gary Lineker, among others.
A midfielder for Adelaide United, Cavallo joined the team in 2021 after leaving Western United earlier that year.
