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“You don't belong on this earth” ... “Why are you here?” ... “Stop breathing.”

After announcing his homosexuality in 2021, footballer Josh Cavallo has received daily death threats and hateful comments on social media.

“Upon reading those comments, I was devastated,” Cavallo explains. “No-one wants to read things like that.

“I'm trying to get better as a player and be the best I can be during matches, and then face criticism due to my identity. It's disgusting.”

Midfielder Cavallo was at Adelaide United back in 2020 when he emerged as the sole publicly out elite soccer player in the world.

This summer he departed from Australia to sign with lower-tier club Peterborough Sports, who compete before audiences of about 400 in the sixth division, the sixth tier of the English soccer system.

This young athlete balances his sports career for the semi-professional team by advocating for inclusion matters and leveraging his platform - boasting over a million followers on social media - to champion equality and acceptance.

“Absolutely, there's enormous work ahead,” the footballer says when questioned about ongoing issues with discrimination.

“Rarely a week passes without hearing about an issue.”

‘People want to harm me’

It took years for Cavallo to build up the bravery to say “I am homosexual” before coming out on 27 October 2021.

“All I want to do is compete in soccer and receive fair treatment,” he stated in an accompanying video.

Cavallo was 21 and making a name for himself at his Australian club in Australia's top flight when, backed by his colleagues, he publicly came out.

“The future was uncertain. I had no expectations,” he says. “It felt like the right time in my life. I needed to move forward.”

The heartfelt revelation clip, entitled ‘Josh's Truth’, went viral on digital platforms.

“My phone was flooded with messages of support. The response was incredible.”

A prominent club were one of many high-profile clubs around the world to express support for the player, with the coach at the time Jurgen Klopp saying: “I appreciate that he took this step because now we talk again.”

Barcelona defender the athlete also offered support, writing on social media that “the world of football is far behind and your actions drive progress”, while his former club issued a statement backing their “remarkable” and “courageous” player.

Some people, however, were less welcoming.

The footballer quickly became a target of homophobic abuse by opposition fans.

In January 2022 a competing team were fined A$5,000 over anti-gay abuse from spectators directed at the player during a game.

“The comments I encountered were hurtful and disparaging towards my community,” he explains.

“I remained calm because responding would encourage detractors.”

A scary event occurred at a gas station in Australia, where Cavallo was physically attacked by an individual who identified him from the coverage.

“That was a scary moment,” he recalls. “I remember thinking ‘this is happening - people want to harm me’.

“Should this be tolerated? Absolutely not. But through my disclosure, these are the consequences.

“I hope that the next person who comes out while competing in soccer at a high level doesn't have to experience the path I have experienced.”

The player says the constant menacing messages and abusive messages have affected his mental health.

“It's quite sad because I am having to explain why I deserve a place on the football field for being who I am,” he states.

“Heterosexual players aren't questioned and ask ‘why should you exist in football?’.

“Many individuals see me as a smiling, positive person. But sometimes when I lean on my fiance, his name, and he gets to see much of what occurs behind the scenes.”

‘Premier League player coming out would move mountains’

The player's choice to disclose his orientation helped prompt teenage Blackpool forward Jake Daniels to come out as the Britain's sole publicly out active male professional footballer in spring 2022.

However, there are no openly gay or bisexual players in the Premier League.

“It would move mountains,” says Cavallo on the effect a Premier League player coming out would have.

“But I must be honest. There are a lot of scary things that would come this person's way. In the world of football, identifying as LGBTQ is a very toxic place.”

Twenty-seven years after a pioneering player - Britain's first openly gay male footballer - died by suicide in 1998, Cavallo has discussed the “harmful male culture” that still exists in men's football.

“You just need to go to a game and see the hostile environment and male-dominated culture that the audience creates,” he says.

“Much remains to be done to ensure there is a secure environment in football for individuals like me and his colleague.

“Progress has been limited (more players coming out) as much as we would like.

“My role is to continue advocating for principles I believe in, and strive for taking out the toxic masculinity in football changing rooms and creating a safe space.”

‘My mission is to drive progress’

The player says football has allowed him to have conversations within team environments about revealing one's orientation.

However, he is critical of Fifa, after the Middle Eastern nation, where homosexual partnerships are against the law, hosted the men's World Cup in 2022.

The 2034 tournament is scheduled in Saudi Arabia, where homosexuality is similarly prohibited.

“Do I approve that the World Cup is in nations that criminalise same-sex marriages, where individuals like myself will be put in prison for just existing on their territory? It's scary,” says the athlete.

“I get messages [from residents of such nations] saying ‘I face imprisonment for my identity - can you help me?’.

“It's devastating that individuals are incarcerated for their true selves.

“Certain nations that are significant soccer markets and they reject LGBTQ+ people. Those are the countries that often focus on me.”

Nevertheless, the footballer says he won't cease advocating.

“Soccer has enabled dialogue in the locker room. It has allowed me to speak and educate people who want to learn more.

“Some will disapprove for who you are. But I have found my family. I have found my community.

“My mission is to create change. That's what I'm here for.”