The Australian Professional Leagues (APL), alongside Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) and Pride Cup, is proud to host the A-Leagues’ annual Pride Celebration.
Now in its fourth season, the A-Leagues’ Pride Celebration is grounded in education and signifies the code’s ongoing commitment to making football accessible and inclusive for all.
Taking place at select fixtures across January to March, the A-Leagues’ 2026 Pride Celebration was once again headlined by the annual Pride Cup double header between Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory which was played in front of a jubilant sold out crowd at Coopers Stadium.
The Celebration will continue across the Isuzu UTE A-League and Ninja A-League with participating Clubs celebrating inclusivity at select matches across February and March with activations including bespoke kits, community group engagement and rainbow corner flags and armbands.
Building on the successful training programs from the last three seasons, this year’s player education has been created and led by Melbourne City and Football Fern great, Hannah Wilkinson alongside Pride Cup.
Delivered to men’s and women’s squads across Australia and New Zealand, the training content will focus on the challenges faced by LGBTIQ+ supporters and players, and how Clubs and players can support inclusion across the game regardless of faith, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender.
A-Leagues CEO, Steve Rosich said: “We’re proud to continue our Pride Celebration, in partnership with the PFA and Pride Cup, for the fourth consecutive year. Grounded in education, the celebration is focused on making our game more inclusive and accessible – whether you’re watching in the stands or playing on the pitch, we want everyone to feel welcome at the A-Leagues.”
PFA Chief Executive, Beau Busch commented: “Each Pride match is an opportunity for Australian football to take a positive step forward to make the A-Leagues more inclusive and represents a celebration of the courage of our members who have used their platforms for progress.“
“While there has been positive progress, there remains much to do to challenge
homophobia in sport and to make sure everyone feels they belong on and off the
pitch.”
Pride Cup CEO, Hayley Conway said: “Pride celebrations are a signal that everyone is welcome at football no matter who we are, who we love, or where we are from.”
With Hannah Wilkinson, Pride Cup Elite Sport Coordinator adding: “It’s a privilege to be able to educate professional clubs on the importance of LGBTQ inclusion and visibility.
Revisiting these clubs and using my experience as an out player is empowering, and it’s such an important opportunity to create meaningful and positive change in the elite football space.”
To find out more, visit: www.aleagues.com.au
Upcoming A-Leagues Pride Celebration Fixtures
Ninja A-League – Round 17
Brisbane Roar vs Sydney FC
Friday 13 February, 2026
Spencer Park
Kick-off: 7:00pm (AEDT)
Ninja A-League – Round 17
Wellington Phoenix vs Central Coast Mariners
Sunday 15 February, 2026
Porirua Park
Kick-off: 2:00pm (AEDT)
Ninja A-League – Round 18
Central Coast Mariners vs Melbourne City
Friday 20 February, 2026
polytec Stadium
Kick-off: 7:00pm (AEDT)
Isuzu UTE A-League – Round 18
Sydney FC vs Brisbane Roar
Saturday 21 February, 2026
Allianz Stadium
Kick-off: 5:00pm (AEDT)
Isuzu UTE A-League – Round 20
Auckland FC v Perth Glory
Sunday 8 March, 2026
Go Media Stadium
Kick-off: 1:00pm (AEDT)
Ninja A-League – Round 19
Newcastle Jets vs Sydney FC
Friday 13 March, 2026
No.2 Sportsground
Kick-off: 7:00pm (AEDT)
Isuzu UTE A-League – Round 21
Newcastle Jets vs Auckland FC
Saturday 14 March, 2026
McDonald Jones Stadium
Kick-off: 5:00pm (AEDT)
Ninja A-League – Round 19
Melbourne City vs Canberra United
Sunday 15 March, 2026
Ctrl:cyber Pitch
Kick-off: 2:00pm (AEDT)
Ninja A-League – Round 20
Perth Glory v Central Coast Mariners
Saturday 21 March, 2026
Sam Kerr Football Centre
Kick-off: 5:00pm (AEDT)
Isuzu UTE A-League – Round 22
Western Sydney Wanderers v Adelaide United
Friday 20 March, 2026
CommBank Stadium
Kick-off: 7:35pm (AEDT)
Ninja A-League – Round 20
Canberra United vs Adelaide United
Sunday 22 March, 2026
McKellar Park
Kick-off: 2:00pm (AEDT)
Ninja A-League – Round 20
Western Sydney Wanderers v Melbourne City
Sunday 22 March, 2026
Wanderers Football Park
Kick-off: 4:00pm (AEDT)
