The 23-year-old Ignacio “Nacho” Lago is the first openly gay or bisexual footballer to play for an Argentine professional team. The left winger-forward for the second-division club Club Atlético Colón from Santa Fe scored the last of three goals in the home victory over Club Atlético San Miguel on Sunday. Afterwards, a previously overlooked, lengthy interview from last year on the local radio program “Sangre y Luto” went viral, in which he spoke about his love for his boyfriend Gonzalo.
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In the May 2025 interview, the moderators surprised Lago with a video message from his boyfriend. In the conversation Lago spoke about everyday life with his partner. He described him as “very attentive” and said he readily accepts his passion for football. The interview did not address that up to then there had been no openly gay player in Argentine football.
In response to the viral video, Lago posted several pictures on social media and wrote toward his boyfriend: “I love you.”
Ignacio Lago, figura de Colón, posó junto a su novio: “Te amo”. https://t.co/AaXVa1NYiz pic.twitter.com/mubLTYRX3R
MDZ Online (@mdzol) April 6, 2026
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The coming-out sparked a wide public response, including in Argentinian politics. The openly gay congressman Esteban Paulón wrote on X: “That is beautiful! And even more beautiful is the reaction on social media and in the public debate in favor of true love. Good for both! Good for Atlético Colón and good for Argentine society, which is making history again. Nacho is also a great player. All the best for Colón. Here’s to more visibility and more love!” In a subsequent tweet, Paulón noted that his grandmother, Maruca, loves the Colón club.
Esto es hermoso! Y más hermosa la reacción en redes y en el debate público a favor de un amor verdadero.
Bien por ambos! Bien por @ColonOficial y bien por la sociedad argentina que vuelve a hacer historia.
Además Nacho es un gran jugador. El mejor del sabalero.
Por más https://t.co/fTknlUnuSIEsteban Paulón (@EstebanPaulon) April 6, 2026
Argentina is legally regarded as one of the most progressive countries in Latin America when it comes to queer rights — same-sex marriage has been legal since 2010, seven years earlier than in Germany. There is also strong anti-discrimination protection. Yet machismo—a heightened, often aggressive sense of male superiority, dominance, and vitality—remains widespread in the country, particularly in men’s football. Homosexuality is still frequently devalued.
The current Argentinian government under President Javier Milei is also widely seen as extremely hostile toward queer people. The right-wing populist won the presidency after an economic crisis in 2023 (TheColu.mn reported). Milei propagates conspiracy theories about queer people, including accusing the LGBT lobby of attempting to push a communist agenda.
