‘Love is the Goal’ at 2026 World Cup for gay physician with Pride in his heart
Dr Nas. Mohamed, the first person from Qatar to come out publicly as LGBTQ, is fronting a new campaign for the 2026 World Cup; speaking on a special Pride episode of the Football v Homophobia Podcast, the Qatari-American physician says it’s an opportunity to “witness and be witnessed” through the unique opportunity that the tournament presents…
One of the most prominent and impactful LGBTQ rights campaigners from the last men’s World Cup is returning with a powerful message for the 2026 tournament.
Dr. Nas Mohamed, the Qatari-American physician who lives in San Francisco, is leading the “Love is the Goal” initiative which aims to raise awareness of human safety across the globe.
Dr. Nas made history four years ago as the first Qatari national to publicly come out as LGBTQ.
Now, he is again looking to harness the immense power of the World Cup to focus on the ongoing discrimination faced by queer communities around the globe, including those in the Gulf states.
Speaking on a special ‘Pride and the 2026 World Cup’ episode of the Football v Homophobia Podcast, Dr. Nas explained that his activation sparked when he learned that the Qatari national team would be playing matches in the San Francisco Bay Area.
“I went through a big brainstorming and soul-searching exercise to think about how can we make a difference,” he explains on the pod. After extensive discussions with various human rights groups, he decided that the core problem was a fundamental lack of empathy.
“We landed on humanizing us because that’s what really the root cause of the issue is – that the story of an LGBT person is not a story of a human that has the same plea to joy, liberty, freedom, and belonging like every other person.”
The episode also features football journalists and broadcasters Becky Thompson (Canada, UK) and Marion Reimers (Mexico), and the activist Eric Wahl, brother of the late soccer writer, Grant Wahl.
Dr. Nas points out how campaigning is becoming more challenging, with traditional storytelling platforms like social media and journalism increasingly determined by LGBTQ-averse algorithms and conservative editors.
With the rise of A.I., he fears it will become even harder for marginalized groups to protect their own narratives in the future.
For him, the FIFA tournament offers a powerful, unfiltered stage. “The World Cup is one of the rare moments where we just get to witness and be witnessed just as we are,” he said.
“I don’t have to speak about who I am in words and try to describe them and explain them. I can just be witnessed.”
Phase one of “Love is the Goal” focuses on allowing LGBTQ individuals to define love in their own authentic voices. As the tournament kicks off, Dr. Nas will invite different Pride Houses and community organisations to join the call.
He acknowledges that entering these spaces takes courage, especially during times of high political tension. “We are experiencing a lot of pain, anger, fear, and there are a million reasons not to be in the room. And the reason to be in it would be out of love.
“And I think that would have the most long-term impact.”
Dr. Nas working to platform marginalised queer voices at World Cup
Having left Qatar to claim asylum in the U.S., and set up the Alwan Foundation – the world’s first NGO fighting on behalf of LGBTQ people in the Gulf region – Dr. Nas continues to face challenges and some opposition. However, he is determined in his activism.
“I’m not going to lean in with the pain that I have experienced or with fear of the current federal government,” he says. “I’m going to lean in with the human that I am.”
He hopes the visibility generated by the World Cup will help his campaign go far and wide. “The endgame to me, when I do my work, is for families and societies to love their children and believe they’re human and keep them home.
“People need to see their own queer children and not throw them out on the street, not hunt them, not hurt them.”
Dr. Nas believes that for those whom he is trying hardest to reach, symbols like the Pride rainbow flag are effective only when societies understand the real people behind them. Without that context, LGBTQ visibility can sometimes alienate rather than unite.
To combat this, Dr. Nas has actively worked to connect major international organisations like ILGA World and InterPride with local World Cup host committees, ensuring that persecuted queer voices from countries like Iran and Egypt are given a platform.
To help fund his work, the Alwan Foundation has released a special line of merchandise. Fans who want to show their solidarity during the tournament can purchase custom jerseys at alwanfoundation.org, with all proceeds going towards the campaign and his advocacy work.
Ultimately, Dr. Nas hopes the 2026 World Cup leaves behind a legacy of undeniable human connection.
“What I hope is for us to witness and be witnessed as we are in a way that is novel and in a way that’s real,” he said.
“I want our real soul to be just seen as it is in a way that gives you chills… I think a moment like this can be hope for a lot of people.”
Listen to the conversation in full on the latest episode of the FvH Podcast.
You can follow Dr. Nas on Instagram at @dr._nass.
Further reading…
Party promotes SF values amid Qatar World Cup appearance (Bay Area Reporter, June 2026)
On the World Cup, homophobia and transphobia, and creating space (May 2026)
InterPride Podcast: Controversy Spills Over FIFA 2026 World Cup (March 2026)
The doctor discovering Qatar’s ‘dark side’ at the World Cup (Sky Sports, November 2022)
Sports Media LGBT+ is a network, advocacy, and consultancy group that is helping to build a community of LGBTQ+ people and allies in sport. We’re also a digital publisher and can help with your content requirements. Learn more about us here.
We’re interested in your news and stories. Share with us and tap into a worldwide audience through our Google News affiliate website which attracts thousands of visitors, and our popular social channels. Contact us to discuss how we can help you.
