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“You shouldn't exist” ... “Why are you here?” ... “Don't take another breath.”

After announcing he was gay in 2021, footballer the athlete has faced constant threats and abusive messages on online platforms.

“Upon reading those comments, it broke my heart,” the player states. “No-one wants to read things like that.

“I'm trying to get better as a player and reach my full potential on the pitch, and then get put down because of who I am. It's appalling.”

Player the sportsman was at Adelaide United four years ago when he emerged as the sole publicly out elite soccer player in the world.

Recently he departed from Australia to sign with lower-tier club Peterborough Sports, who play in front of crowds of about 400 in the sixth division, the sixth tier of the English soccer system.

The 25-year-old combines playing for the Cambridgeshire part-timers by advocating for inclusion matters and using his profile - he has more than one million followers on social media - to promote fairness and acceptance.

“Absolutely, we've got mountains to do,” Cavallo says when asked if football still has a problem with homophobia.

“Rarely a week passes without encountering problems.”

‘Individuals wish to hurt me’

It took years for Cavallo to build up the bravery to say “I'm gay” before coming out on 27 October 2021.

“All I want to do is compete in soccer and receive fair treatment,” he stated in an accompanying video.

The player was 21 and making a name for himself at his Australian club in Australia's top flight when, with the support of his team-mates, he announced his orientation publicly.

“I didn't know what was ahead. I had no expectations,” he says. “It felt like the right time in my life. I wanted to take the next step.”

The heartfelt revelation clip, entitled ‘His Personal Story’, gained massive attention on digital platforms.

“My phone was flooded with messages of support. It was overwhelming.”

A prominent club were among numerous famous teams around the world to express support for Cavallo, with then manager the German manager saying: “I appreciate that he took this step because now we talk again.”

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique also expressed backing, posting online that “the world of football is far behind and you are helping us move forward”, while his former club released a comment supporting their “remarkable” and “courageous” player.

Others, however, were not so accepting.

The footballer quickly became a subject to anti-gay remarks by opposition fans.

In January 2022 a competing team were penalized A$5,000 over discriminatory chants from fans aimed toward Cavallo during a game.

“The things I'd hear were hurtful and disparaging towards my community,” he explains.

“I didn't react because I knew that would only feed the haters.”

A scary event occurred at a petrol station in Australia, where Cavallo was assaulted by an individual who identified him from the coverage.

“It was terrifying,” he recalls. “I remember thinking ‘this is real - people want to harm me’.

“Is it acceptable? Definitely not. But through my disclosure, this is what it brings.

“I hope that future individuals who reveals their orientation while competing in soccer at a high level won't face the path I have endured.”

Cavallo says the constant menacing messages and hostile communications have affected his psychological well-being.

“It's disappointing because I am having to explain why I belong on the soccer pitch for being who I am,” he states.

“We don't sit straight people down and ask ‘what gives you the right in football?’.

“A lot of people see me as a cheerful, positive person. But there are days when I rely on my partner, his name, and he gets to see much of what occurs privately.”

‘Premier League player coming out would move mountains’

The player's choice to disclose his orientation helped inspire 17-year-old Blackpool forward Jake Daniels to come out as the UK's only openly gay active male professional footballer in May 2022.

However, there are zero publicly LGBTQ athletes in the Premier League.

“It would create massive change,” comments the footballer on the effect a Premier League player revealing their orientation would make.

“But I'm not going to sugar-coat it. There are a lot of scary things that would come this person's way. Within soccer culture, identifying as LGBTQ is a highly hostile environment.”

Over two decades after Justin Fashanu - the UK's initial out soccer professional - took his own life in 1998, Cavallo has discussed the “toxic masculinity” that persists in men's football.

“You just need to go to a match and observe the unfriendly atmosphere and male-dominated culture that the crowd brings,” he says.

“There is still a lot of work to ensure there is a secure environment in football for individuals like me and his colleague.

“We haven't seen it (more players coming out) as much as we would like.

“My role is to continue advocating for what I think is right, and strive for taking out the toxic masculinity in football changing rooms and establishing secure environments.”

‘I'm here to create change’

The player says soccer has enabled discussions within team environments about revealing one's orientation.

However, he is critical of Fifa, after Qatar, where homosexual partnerships are illegal, staged the global tournament in 2022.

Future World Cup will be held in Saudi Arabia, where homosexuality is similarly prohibited.

“Do I approve that the World Cup is in nations that criminalise same-sex marriages, where individuals like myself will be put in prison for just existing on their territory? It's frightening,” states Cavallo.

“I receive communications [from people living in these countries] saying ‘I face imprisonment for my identity - can you help me?’.

“It's devastating that individuals are incarcerated for being who they are.

“There are countries that are significant soccer markets and they don't accept the queer community. These places that often focus on me.”

Nevertheless, Cavallo says he will not stop speaking up.

“Soccer has allowed me to start conversations in the changing room. It lets me communicate and educate people who seek understanding.

“Not everyone is going to like you for who you are. But I've discovered support. I have found my community.

“My purpose is to drive progress. That's what I'm here for.”