Soccer club showcases LGBTQ Pride at Iran World Cup match and beyond
The West Hollywood Soccer Club is a strong LGBTQ community, being honored and showing Pride at Iran's recent World Cup match.
Mark
As Los Angeles plays host to FIFA World Cup 2026, one of the tournament’s most meaningful legacies is already taking shape through organizations using soccer to strengthen communities and create opportunities for people who have traditionally been excluded from the game.
Among the 26 organizations recognized as Community Champions by the Los Angeles World Cup 2026 Host Committee and the Play Equity Fund is the West Hollywood Soccer Club.
We are the largest and oldest LGBTQ+ soccer club in Los Angeles.
Founded in 1985 by a small group of players seeking a safe place to play the sport they love, the club has grown into a thriving nonprofit community that welcomes athletes of all skill levels while creating space for LGBTQ+ players and allies to experience the game.
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The recognition has helped accelerate several key initiatives, including the launch of the club’s internal league, the expansion of its Play With Pride Cup for women and non-binary athletes, and continued growth of the Desert Pride Cup tournament.
More importantly, it has allowed the club to create new pathways into the sport for LGBTQ+ athletes who often struggle to find welcoming environments, particularly on the men’s side of the game.
On a personal level, leading the club through its evolution to the next level, in no small part thanks to the grant from the FIFA World Cup Host Committee, has been incredibly heartwarming.
West Hollywood Soccer Club in Pride shirts at the World Cup
Just seeing the faces of our members at a match wearing their club shirts with the rainbow and trans colors proudly on display sends a clear message that we belong and we intend to claim our space.
That sense of belonging was on full display when 24 WHSC members attended the FIFA World Cup Group G qualifying match between Iran and New Zealand in Los Angeles.
It was especially rewarding to experience the match – all wearing our logo featuring the Pride rainbow – with other members of the WHSC community.
“Being able to enjoy the World Cup match as my authentic self with my own community and Club by my side was an unforgettable experience,” Viana Parra, captain of WHSC’s Cosmos team, told me after the match. “Enjoying the beautiful game, coming as we are, with my closest friends and teammates by my side is at the core of what WHSC is about.”
For 2018 Gay Games gold medalist Flaco Cruz, the experience reinforced the importance of representation.
“The match was unforgettable,” he said, “not just because of the soccer, but because I got to experience it authentically with people I care about.”
As WHSC prepares to send five teams – the largest contingent from a single U.S. soccer club – to the Gay Games in Valencia, Spain, the organization continues to prove that soccer is about more than competition.
The beautiful game is about creating community, fostering belonging, and ensuring that everyone has a place in the sport we love.
You can follow West Hollywood Soccer Club President Ken Sanchez on Instagram. You can also find WHSC on Instagram as well.
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