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Meet Canada’s Quinn, the first transgender and non-binary player at the FIFA World Cup who shackled the Super Falcons’ midfield
Canada Women’s opening match at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup against the Super Falcons of Nigeria Women ended in an uninspiring 0-0 draw, but the match will forever be in football’s history books thanks to the presence of defensive midfielder Quinn.
The Canadian number 5 did not score or assist in the game and had a steady if forgettable performance (normal for their position), but still managed to make history during the match, becoming the first transgender and non-binary player to take part in a FIFA World Cup fixture.
The 27-year-old OL Reign midfielder played the entire game against Nigeria and held their own against the Super Falcons, helping their side dominate the midfield, but they will be remembered for far more than that, thanks to their unique place in World Cup history.
They Came out in 2020
Quinn came out in 2020 as non-binary and requested that they be referred to with the pronouns “they/them” as they transitioned from female to non-binary.
Since then, they has gone on to make a name for themselves in the sport, becoming the first player at the most competitive levels of international football to make the switch.
Quinn was born female
The 27-year-old midfielder was born female, and identified as such until 2020, when they made a public declaration of their non-binary identity.
They continued to compete in women’s football after becoming non-binary thanks to their birth gender and the OL Reign midfielder has persisted with Canada’s Women’s national team, representing them at two more major international tournaments since they came out.
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Quinn also played against Nigeria at the 2012 U-17 World Cup
The first non-binary transgender athlete to compete at the Olympic games
One of the tournaments that Quinn has played since coming out was the 2020 Olympic Games, delayed until 2021.
At the tournament, they became the first-ever transgender and non-binary Olympian after competing with Canada in the Women’s Football tournament.
Quinn and Canada went on to win the Olympic gold medal, making the footballer the first-ever transgender and non-binary Olympic champion.
Quinn has no first name
In addition to announcing their gender identity change in 2020, Quinn also announced that they would be dropping their first name “Rebecca” and had chosen to go solely by their family name “Quinn.”
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Canada midfielder Quinn
Quinn has been a Canadian international since 2014
Quinn has made 89 appearances for Canada since making their senior debut in 2014 and is one of the most recognizable players in the national team setup after representing them for more than a decade.
During their time with the national team, they have earned Olympic gold and bronze medals, and have played at two FIFA Women’s World Cup tournaments.
Despite often playing at the base of midfield, they still managed to score a senior hat-trick for Canada, against Guatemala in a 10-0 victory.
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