Although we're seeing progress in most major sports in the world, we're still waiting for the first major male soccer player to come out during their playing career. The most high-profile player ever to come out is former German international star Thomas Hitzlsperger, who declared his sexuality in 2014, a year after his career was over. He had in the past been engaged to a female German model, and when coming out said he'd only realized he was gay in recent years.
A player for Aston Villa, West Ham United, and Everton in the English Premier League, Hitzlsperger remains the only former player from that prestigious division ever to come out as gay, and arguably he's the most high-profile gay former player in the history of the sport. He represented Germany 52 times between 2004 and 2010, finishing third in the World Cup in 2006.