Pernell Harder, LGTBI World Cup Voice

It happened in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final and it took 10 minutes Pernille Harder (Ikast, Denmark, 30 years old) They tasted like glory, though Barcelona won the bare minimum. After five months in the back room with a hamstring injury, he’s back on the mat. It was celebrated by Chelsea, who paid at the time the most expensive transfer for the front – 350,000 euros to Wolfsburg – and brought champagne to coach Lars Sondergaard, who was restoring his best player to face the World Cup after Denmark lost in the last three editions. He is The first World Cup For Harder – top scorer in the Champions League and European Cup finals, with seven league titles in three different countries and the best European player of the decade according to the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) – captain of Denmark. But Pernell, it’s more than just a bracelet. It’s the sound.

Perhaps she stood out as a child because she always wanted to play football and didn’t have a women’s team to compete with – so much so that she convinced Midtjylland U17 boys to let her train with them – Pernille wants to set an example for new generations. “I didn’t have anyone to look at, and when I was playing at home I called myself Beckham,” he recalled. “I wanted to be a boy because I didn’t know there were women’s teams.” Until his sister Louise told him yes, he was on the national team. So Harder decided to grow her hair long. Now he agrees: “It means you have a lot of role models and hopefully I can inspire someone.”

For this reason, in the last World Cup, after his partner Magdalena Ericsson played Sweden in the round of 16 against Canada, They had a kiss planned in the stands. An image that travels daily for them around the world. “When Pernille and I were growing up, there weren’t any gay athletes we could look up to and make us think it was okay to be gay. We can use our platform as footballers because there are so many who listen to us; we can make a difference,” Erickson decides. “That photo was so big it caused so many people to text us telling us they looked at us and how much we helped them,” Harder, who is a staunch human rights activist, recalled.

condition that occurred When Fifa Banned Rainbow Bracelets – They stood up for the rights of all people, regardless of their gender – at the recent Men’s World Cup in Qatar. “You want to follow your values ​​and just say: ‘Fuck FIFA’. But you also have a responsibility to your team and your federation, ”the player decided after learning that for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, the international organization decided to acquire eight bracelets supporting various social causes, although none of the legend was found. one love For the benefit of the LGTBI community. “If there were no consequences for anyone but me, I would probably wear a rainbow bracelet. It’s a little embarrassing that I can’t show some of the values ​​that I stand for,” he explains.

Harder has always had this vindictive personality, who in 2019 led a strike with the rest of the players so that the Danish FA could equalize the prizes in regard to the men’s team. “We were excluded from the World Cup, and the consequences were really difficult, but it was worth it,” Harder explains. Although Oceania don’t miss it. And even smile. “We flew here in business class. I don’t think we would have done the same thing five years ago, ”he says, agreeing with the financial increase of FIFA and the publication of his federation, which put masseuses, physiotherapists and psychologists at the service of the team. Although, he points out, it still needs to be done, because the tournament prizes compared to the boys’ prizes are three times less.

now, anyway, Denmark wants to have fun again World Cup “It’s the first time for all of them, so there’s a little bit of stage fright,” said striker Ricky Madsen. “Butterflies in the stomach are part of the sport. And that only exists if something is at stake. So we must not forget that it is great to participate,” Søndergaard interjects. They all look at Harder. “Something will affect us at first, but we can help each other focus. Little things like meeting in the field and talking. Pernell’s word, about that captain who, despite being injured for five months, took part in meetings Zoom in With coaches and other international players to fuel the competitiveness and performance of sound selection. “This tournament deserves players like Pernell,” Sondergaard declared before opening today against China in Perth (Australia). The duels in which Harder will extend his records are with Denmark, which has already taken first place (70). After the World Cup, he will play for Bayern, leaving Chelsea behind. With her, on the same flight from London to Munich, Magdalena will leave, where they both signed until 2026. There she will continue to record. and defend their values. With or without a bracelet.

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