German Referee Pascal Kaiser Proposes To Boyfriend At FC Köln And The Stadium Cheers
Pascal Kaiser is used to being watched. Referees always are. But on Friday, January 30, 2026, he stepped into the spotlight for something personal, not professional.
At FC Köln’s RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne, Kaiser got down on one knee and proposed to his boyfriend, Moritz, in front of a packed crowd reported at around 50,000 people. Moritz said yes, and the stadium reacted the way you usually only hear after a late winner.
The club backed it, loudly.
FC Köln (FC is short for Football Club) did not treat the proposal like a side story. The club shared the video on Instagram and made it clear the moment had their support, calling Kaiser “a referee and a huge FC fan” and adding, “Congratulations, you two!”
By Monday morning, the post had already passed 165,000 likes, with supportive comments rolling in. That kind of reaction matters, because it shows what happens when a big club does not sit on the fence.
German soccer referee Pascal Kaiser proposed to his boyfriend during a break at an FC Koln match in Cologne.
— Buzzing Pop (@BuzzingPop) January 31, 2026
🎥: fckoeln/Instagram pic.twitter.com/0mIshmNmCj
What Kaiser said on the pitch.
Before he proposed, Kaiser gave a prepared speech. Only part of it has been translated publicly, but the key line landed hard. As translated by Outsports, Kaiser said: “I want everyone to see that I love this person. A man. As a man. In football.”
It was simple. It was direct. And in a sport that still polices masculinity, it said what plenty of people still feel pushed to hide.
Why this moment travelled fast.
Kaiser came out as bisexual in 2021. He has also been clear about why he stays visible. Speaking with German queer outlet Schwulissimo, he described it as his “mission” to “create visibility”, adding: “I know how lonely it can be to think you’re the only one. I want no one to have to feel that way again.”
