Ali Riley captained New Zealand to a historic first ever World Cup win on Thursday as her team defeated Norway 1-0, but it was her nails that made headlines after the game, as well as her performance on the pitch.
Riley’s painted nails were visible as she was interviewed after the match – one hand displaying the colors of the rainbow flag, the other displaying the colors of the trans flag – in an apparent show of support for the LGBTQ+ community.
World soccer governing body FIFA allowed a variety of different armbands that highlight “a range of social causes” to be worn at the Women’s World Cup, the organization said last month, but there is no explicit mention of LGBTQ+ rights in the armbands approved by FIFA, beyond the “themes” of “gender equality” and “inclusion.”
At the men’s World Cup in Qatar last year, FIFA threatened sanctions for players wearing the “OneLove” armband – which featured the outline of a heart striped in different colors and displayed solidarity with people of different genders and sexual identities – creating a rift between soccer’s governing body and the seven European nations (England, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and Wales) initially intending to wear it.
Before the tournament and FIFA’s announcement, Riley told CNN Sport’s Amanda Davies that she “would be honored to wear a rainbow armband.”
She said: “I would love for us as captains to come together and working with FIFA to make sure that we are able to have a voice and are able to share what we believe in. But I am confident that we will find ways, no matter what, to make sure our voices are heard.”
Her colorful nails were praised across social media, “breaking the internet,” her club Angel City FC said on Instagram, alongside photos of her during the game.
“Nothing stopping Ali Riley from showing PRIDE at the World Cup this summer,” the website Women’s Sport Exchange tweeted.
Even Hollywood actress Jennifer Garner praised the New Zealand captain, commenting on Angel City’s post: “We stan (Ali Riley).”
