Historic debut for Spain’s first trans soccer team

A soccer team composed entirely of trans men has made history by debuting in a regional league in Spain. Despite facing administrative hurdles and prejudice, they have become the first all-trans squad in Europe to achieve federated status, according to ‘NBC News’.

The team, named Fenix FC after the mythical bird symbolising rebirth, previously participated in friendlies and seven-a-side games last season. Now, they compete in the fifth tier within the northwestern region of Catalonia, having been integrated into a local club in Sant Feliu de Llobregat, a suburb of Barcelona.

Last year, Spain enacted a groundbreaking trans rights bill to facilitate the change of legal gender identity. However, intolerance remains, with Catalonia reporting a record 302 cases of discrimination or violence against LGBTQ+ individuals in 2023. Of these cases, one-quarter targeted transgender people, according to data from the region's Observatory Against LGBTphobia.

Hugo Martinez, 24, shared with Reuters the abuse he endured when starting his transition with gender-affirming hormone therapy, which led him to leave the women’s soccer team he had been part of. “I was a boy playing in the girls’ team, but without a changed ID, so I wasn’t yet allowed to play with boys,” he explained, describing how other players, coaches, and parents often directed insults and threats at him.

This experience motivated Martinez to reach out online to other trans men interested in playing soccer in a supportive environment. It took three years to establish Fenix FC.

Team captain Luke Ibanez, 19, was initially reluctant to join a team with cisgender (non-trans) men due to concerns about fitting in or experiencing violence. When Martinez shared his concept for an all-trans team, Ibanez was quick to join. “Fenix is a team of trans boys created entirely by trans boys, but I think it’s more than that — a family, a safe space where you can be free and express yourself however you want and how you really feel.”

In response to questions from Reuters, the Catalan FA noted that its men's leagues have been mixed for the past two seasons, allowing players of any gender to participate regardless of their official identity. Players may also use a name different from their legal one. Other regional FAs impose these adjustments only up to a specific age group, and the regulations vary in other sports. Fenix’s first game of the season on September 21 ended in a 19-0 defeat. However, for its fans and players, the ability of trans men to play their favourite sport on equal terms is more significant than the outcome.