The International Gay and Lesbian Football Association (IGLFA) is an international organization which was founded in 1992 with the intention of promoting association football (known as soccer in the United States and football in most of the rest of the world) in the LGBTQ+ community and to promote queer football to the world at large.
The IGLFA is the governing body of LGBT football and regulates the association football portion of the Gay Games as well as the Official IGLFA World, North American and European Championships.
While the IGLFA was formed in 1992, LGBT football teams competed against each other at the first Gay Games in 1982, and an autonomous international championship event was held annually beginning in 1987. Beginning in 1992, a European competition has been held by the IGLFA, though it is separate from the currently-recognized European championship which began in 2011; a North American championship also began in 2011. The IGLFA World Championships were held every year from 1992 to 2010, but now are held only on even-numbered years; odd-numbered years are currently used for the continental championships and other competitions. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no 2020 world championship nor any 2021 regional championships.
Beginning in 2019, IGFLA also began recognizing the Sin City Classic, the largest annual LGBT sports event in the world, as the official indoor championship, though the Las Vegas tournament had held soccer tournaments for many years before. This tournament is otherwise known as the IGLFA World Indoor Championship.
All IGLFA tournaments are split into Mixed Gender and Female competitions. Whilst the majority of participants in the mixed gender competition are male, all genders are permitted to participate.
As of February 2020, 39 tournaments have been held, including 7 tournaments before IGLFA, 23 IGLFA World Championships, 4 IGLFA Euro Championships, 2 IGLFA North American championships, 2 official indoor championships, and 1 IGLFA Unity cup. Stonewall FC is the most successful mixed gender club, having won 11 times (1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2019). Other clubs who have won the male competition multiple times are San Francisco Spikes (7 times), Cream Team Cologne (3 times), West Hollywood Soccer Club (3 times), SAFG Argentina (2 times), Federal Triangles Soccer Club (2 times), and the Minnesota Gray Ducks (2 times). There are currently no repeat Champions in the female competition.
The association is affiliated with the Federation of Gay Games and awards the annual Tom Waddell Memorial Trophy (created in 1988) to the winner of its mixed gender tournament (held as part of the Gay Games in years when that event is held).
Below is a summary of Mixed Gender Div.1, Mixed Gender Div.2, and Female champions at IGLFA's major international tournaments and their predecessors. Parentheses indicate the number of times a city has hosted or the number of times a team has won Div.1 titles and therefore crowned as IGLFA World Champions. Italics represent indoor championships.
Year | Tournament | Host | Mixed Div. 1 Champions | Mixed Div. 2 Champions | Female Div. 1 Champions |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1982 | Gay Games I | San Francisco | San Francisco Spikes | Not Held / Unknown | Not Held |
1983 to 1985 | Not Held | ||||
1986 | Gay Games II | San Francisco (2) | San Francisco Spikes (2,3,4,5) | Team San Francisco | |
1987 | Denver | Not Held | |||
1988 | Seattle | ||||
1989 | Boston | Team Toronto | |||
1990 | Gay Games III | Vancouver | Los Angeles Suns | San Francisco Scotts | |
1991 | Atlanta | San Francisco Spikes (6) | Not Held | ||
1992 | IGLFA WC I | New York City | San Diego Sparks | Boston Strikers | New York Electra |
1993 | IGLFA WC II | Los Angeles | San Francisco Spikes (7) | Not Held | Not Held |
1994 | IGLFA WC III Gay Games IV | New York City (2) | Cream Team Cologne | Cincinnati Sharks | Colorado Beaver Trappers |
1995 | IGLFA WC IV | Berlin | London Stonewall Lions | Not Held | Team Frankfurt |
1996 | IGLFA WC V | Dallas | German All-Stars | Not Held | |
1997 | IGLFA WC VI | Washington, D.C. | Los Angeles Suns (2) | Philadelphia Falcons | Stochastic Force (Washington D.C., USA) |
1998 | IGLFA WC VII Gay Games V | Amsterdam | Cream Team Cologne (2,3) | Los Angeles Eclipse | Team Joost (Netherlands) |
1999 | IGLFA WC VIII | Fort Lauderdale | Not Held | Berlin Magic Pirates | |
2000 | IGLFA WC IX | Cologne | London Stonewall Lions (2,3,4) | London Apprentices | Towanda 2000 (USA) |
2001 | IGLFA WC X | London | Not Held | Aztec Parma | |
2002 | IGLFA WC XI Gay Games VI | Sydney | The Americans SC | Amhurst Aztecs (USA) | |
2003 | IGLFA WC XII | Boston (2) | Americas SC | Florida Storm | Boston Strikers |
2004 | IGLFA WC XIII | San Francisco (3) | Florida Storm | Not Held | SF Spykes |
2005 | IGLFA WC XIV | Copenhagen | Paris PAEC | Japan | Pan Fodbold, Hilde Brand (Denmark) |
2006 | IGLFA WC XV Gay Game VII | Chicago | London Stonewall Lions (5) | Boston Strikers | Thunderkitten Madison Wisconsin |
2007 | IGLFA WC XVI | Buenos Aires | Los Dogos DAG (Argentina) | West Hollywood | Not Held |
2008 | IGLFA WC XVII | London (2) | London Stonewall Lions (6,7,8,9) | Leicester Wildecats (UK) | Hackney Women's FC (United Kingdom) |
2009 | IGLFA WC XVIII | Washington, D.C. (2) | Seattle Jet City Strikers | Philadelphia Falcons exhibition | |
2010 | IGLFA WC XIX Gay Games VIII | Cologne (2) | tie: SAFG (Argentina) Los Angeles Eclipse | Hobbergasen Erlangen (Germany) | |
2011 | IGLFA Euro I | Manchester | London Falcon | Not Held | |
IGLFA NAmer I NAmer Outgames II | Vancouver (2) | United FC | New York Ramblers | ||
2012 | IGLFA WC XX | Mexico City | SAFG (Argentina) | Not Held | |
2013 | IGLFA Euro II | Dublin | Village Manchester FC | Insaka FC (Ireland) | Alternativa (Russia) |
2014 | IGLFA WC XXI Gay Games 9 | Cleveland/Akron | London Stonewall Lions (10) | San Francisco Spikes | Toronto United Women |
2015 | IGLFA Euro III | Hamburg | Vorspiel Berlin I | Cream Team Cologne | FC Krylya |
IGLFA NAmer II | Madison | Federal Triangles Soccer Club (1,2) | Not Held | Not Held | |
2016 | IGLFA WC XXII | Portland | Vancouver SC | ||
2017 | IGLFA Unity Cup World OutGames IV | Miami | SAFG (Argentina) (2) | Stockholm Snipers/Pan Fobold | |
2018 | IGLFA WC XXIII Gay Games 10 | Paris | West Hollywood Soccer Club (LA Eclipse) (3) | London Stonewall Cubs | Rosa Bonheur |
2019 | IGLFA Indoor I 2019 Sin City Classic | Las Vegas (ind.) | Minnesota Gray Ducks | San Diego Sparks | Didesex (Mexico) |
IGLFA Euro III EuroGames 2019 | Rome | London Stonewall Lions (11) | G Madrid Sports | Jumping Potatoes (Austria) | |
2020 | IGLFA Indoor II 2019 Sin City Classic | Las Vegas (ind.) | Minnesota Gray Ducks (2) | AZKATL (Mexico) | |
2021 | Not Held | ||||
2022* | IGLFA Indoor III 2022 Sin City Classic | Las Vegas (ind.) | West Hollywood Soccer Club | ||
IGLFA WC XXIV 30th anniversary worldwide | Washington, D.C. (3) | Federal Triangles Soccer Club | Federal Triangles Soccer Club | West Hollywood Soccer Club | |
Sydney (2) | West Hollywood Soccer Club | Minnesota Gray Ducks | West Hollywood Soccer Club | ||
2023* | IGLFA Indoor IV 2023 Sin City Classic | Las Vegas (ind.) | |||
IGLFA NAmer III | St. Pete | CANCELED | |||
2024 | IGLFA Indoor V 2024 Sin City Classic | Las Vegas (ind.) | |||
IGLFA WC XXV | Buenos Aires (2) |
The following is a list of all clubs that have earned multiple medals at IGLFA-recognized tournaments (since 1992).
Club | '92 | '93 | '94 | '95 | '96 | '97 | '98 | '99 | '00 | '01 | '02 | '03 | '04 | '05 | '06 | '07 | '08 | '09 | '10 | '11 | '12 | '13 | '14 | '15 | '16 | '17 | '18 | '19 | '20 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Argentina | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1st | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Seleccion Argentina Futbolistas Gay SAFG | 2nd | 1st* | 1st | 1st | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Denmark | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pan Fodbold (Copenhagen) | 1st | 2nd | 1st* | 3rd* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
France | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
FC Paris Lutece | 1st | 2nd | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Germany | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1st | 3rd | 1st | 1st | 2rd | 2nd | 3rd | 3rd | 1st | |||||||||||||||||||||
Streetboys Munchen | 2nd | 2nd | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ireland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dublin Devils FC | 1st | 2nd | 2nd | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mexico | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
AZKATL | 2nd | 1st | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1st | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Didesex | 2nd* | 1st | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
LOBOS | 3rd | 3rd | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Chosen Few | 3rd | 2nd | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sweden | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stockholm Snipers | 3rd | 1st* | 3rd* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hackney Women's FC | 2nd | 1st | 2nd* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
London Falcons | 3rd | 1st | 2nd | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
London Stonewall [Lions, Apprentices, Cubs] | 3rd | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | 2nd | 3rd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 3rd | 1st | |||||||||||
1st | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
London Titans [XXL, 2Brewers] | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | 3rd | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Village Manchester FC | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1st | 1st | 1st | 2nd | 2nd | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dallas Oak Lawn | 2nd | 2nd | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Federal Triangles (D.C.) | 2nd | 3rd | 2nd | 3rd | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 2nd | |||||||||||||||||||||
Florida Storm | 1st | 1st | 2nd | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hotlanta SC | 3rd | 3rd | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Los Angeles Cobras | 2nd | 2nd | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Madison Wisconsin | 1st | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1st | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3rd | 1st | 1st | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2nd | 3rd | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3rd | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3rd | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd | 1st | 2nd | ||||||||||||||||||||||
1st | 1st | 3rd* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2nd | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3rd | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 2nd | 3rd | 2nd | 3rd | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | |||||||||||||||||||
1st | 3rd* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1st | 2nd | 3rd | 3rd | 1st | 3rd | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rain City FC [Jet City Strikers, Stonewall FC] (WA) | 1st | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Team Americas SC | 1st | 1st | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Twin City Jacks | 2nd | 2nd | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
United FC (FL) | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | 3rd | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
2nd | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
West Hollywood SC [LA Suns, LA Eclipse, Rockets] | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | 1st* | 1st | 3rd | 2nd | ||||||||||||||||||
2nd |