Autistic Football Players Who Have Spoken About Their Experiences with Autism 

The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) found that nearly 60% of footballers have neurodivergent traits but don't disclose them to teams and fans [1]. Stereotypes about Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be quite harmful for a professional football career, but that is beginning to change.

The football players we're going to talk about shared their stories about being autistic soccer players. And this helps fans understand that autism is not incompatible with competing at the highest level.

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7 Football Players With Confirmed Autistic Spectrum Disorder

Around 5% of football players have been officially diagnosed with a certain neurodivergent condition, which includes ASD, ADHD, OCD, intellectual disability, etc. A quarter of professional soccer players say that they struggle with attention, focus, and social interactions, which are the most common manifestations of ASD. [2]

This article focuses exclusively on football players who have publicly confirmed their autism diagnosis. From a neurodivergence screening source, we learned that autism can look different, so there is no place for speculation about who's autistic and who's not unless a person confirms it themselves.

1. Lucy Bronze

England international and Chelsea defender Lucy Bronze publicly revealed in 2025 that she had been diagnosed with both autism and ADHD. A former Champions League winner got her diagnosis in 2021 and decided to keep it private for a while.

Bronze doesn't view her autism as a disability or disadvantage. In an interview with UEFA, Lucy said, "I think that's probably helped me through knee injuries and stuff because I would just find out everything possible about it. It's probably the reason why I'm still playing into my thirties at the highest level because I just do as much as possible in that one thing." [3].

Chelsea's defender is currently a celebrity ambassador for the National Autistic Society, which emphasizes the importance of representation. By sharing her diagnosis publicly, she hopes to help young autistic people see that neurodivergence does not prevent someone from succeeding in elite sport.

2. Alf Ramsey

Unlike the other people on this list, Sir Alf Ramsey was never formally diagnosed with autism during his lifetime. However, in his biography, Ramsey exposed some ASD symptoms:

• Deep hyperfocus on football and tactical planning.
• Social reservedness
• Precision and rigid structure [4].

Much of his perceived aloofness and rigid character was frequently misunderstood by the Football Association and journalists during his life.

Because Ramsey died in 1999, it is impossible to know whether he would have met today's diagnostic criteria. Regardless of these speculations, Ramsey remains one of England's greatest football figures, having managed the national team to its only FIFA World Cup victory in 1966.

3. James McClean

Irish soccer player James McClean is a winger for the Derry City football club. McClean wasn't diagnosed until 2023, when his daughter got an ASD diagnosis. The Irish winger noticed that they actually share numerous traits.

McClean shared his diagnosis during Autism Acceptance Week. By speaking openly about his diagnosis, James hoped to support his daughter and raise awareness that autism presents differently in different people. For example, McClean is prone to emotional meltdowns rather than rigid structure and social stiffness.

4. John O'Kane

A former Manchester United footballer and defender, John O'Kane, received an autism diagnosis later in adulthood. According to O'Kane's biographies, among the symptoms that made him seek a diagnosis were:

• Physical tics (blinking & twitching).
• Sensitivities to audio and visual stimulations.
• Daydreaming (leading to his nickname "The Spaceman").
• Emotional sensitivity and inability to cope with pressure and self-doubt [5].

The diagnosis helped him make sense of many experiences from his football career. O'Kane later became a neurodiversity coach for new footballers, helping them to manage the difficulties he had never received support with.

5. Safia Middleton-Patel

Wales international goalkeeper Safia Middleton-Patel has publicly shared that she is autistic via Instagram at just 19 years old.

In her interview with She's a Baller, Middleton-Patel shared some of the unspoken challenges of autistic women. For example, she already experienced accusations for "faking autism" and being dropped from the club for being different at just 20 years old.

The Welsh goalkeeper shared that she was inspired to announce her diagnosis publicly due to examples of other female football legends like Lucy Bronze. Now, she's become one of the advocates for autistic footballers she looked up to.

6. Greg Halford

Greg Halford is an English soccer player who's most known for playing for the Cardiff City football club, from where he was promoted to the Premier League. He sought an autism assessment after his son was diagnosed, recognizing many of the same characteristics in himself.

Halford first announced his diagnosis in 2023, when he was doing a guest podcast [6]. In this podcast, the English footballer talked about how emotional and relieving it was to finally get diagnosed.

7. Issy Watts

Southampton FC Women defender Issy Watts has also spoken publicly about living with autism earlier in 2026. A 19-year-old footballer talked about how different she felt her whole life. But she also shared that soccer was her outlet for running around and being active without being judged.

In the interview with the BBC, Watts shared that her autism diagnosis gave her "permission to be kinder to herself" [7].

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5 Soccer Players With Autistic Kids

Not every soccer player decides to share that they have an ASD diagnosis due to understandable reasons. As Middleton-Patel's story proves, clubs are still biased against neurodivergent players.

However, there are soccer players who aren't autistic themselves but advocate for neurodivergents due to their kids being on the spectrum. Their stories show that even elite athletes face the same questions and uncertainties as many other parents.

1. Marc Cucurella

Chelsea and Spain defender Marc Cucurella has spoken openly, alongside his partner Claudia Rodríguez, about their son Mateo's autism diagnosis.

Mateo was diagnosed with autism in 2022, shortly after Cucurella was transferred to Chelsea. The Spanish defender talked about how hard the early months after diagnosis were, when he tried to manage both integration into the new team and adapting to Mateo's social and processing needs.

Despite the challenges, Cucurella has emphasized that his family's needs are his top priority. He has declared that he will never transfer to a football club or relocate to a city unless it provides access to the specialized schools and therapy services his son requires.

2. Paul Scholes

Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has long spoken about his son Aiden, who is autistic and non-speaking. Aiden requires around-the-clock care and thrives on a strict, predictable routine. Therefore, Scholes made a choice to step away from his football and commentator career to care about Aiden's consistent schedule.

3. Pat Nevin

For many years, former Chelsea and Scotland winger Pat Nevin chose to keep his family's experience private. His son was diagnosed with autism over three decades ago, when there was far less public understanding of neurodivergent conditions. As awareness improved, he became more confident that sharing this info wouldn't harm his son, as Nevin claimed in his memoirs [8].

4. Simon Murray

Simon Murray is a Scottish footballer and the captain of the Dundee football club. Simon shared that having a son diagnosed with autism changed him as a player and as a father. As a father, he felt the responsibility to learn and advocate as much as he could about the condition. Therefore, he created a support group for athletes with autistic and disabled children.

As a player, the diagnosis of his son has significantly changed his career path. Murray transferred to Dundee to be closer to his son. And in cooperation with Ross County, the Scottish footballer emphasizes how important it is to create sensory areas to make games enjoyable for autistic fans.

5. Paul Mullin

Wrexham striker Paul Mullin openly shares his son's journey to help destigmatize the condition that is such a huge part of their family's life. Mullin uses his platform in multiple ways:

• He's an ambassador with the non-profit organization "Autism in Racing."
• He's a patron of the UK charity "Your Space."
• He visits shows and media, including Autism Dadcast, where he talks about overlooked experiences of fathers raising autistic children.

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FAQs About Popular Footballers and Autism

There are speculations about certain famous footballers and their possible autism diagnosis. In this section, we want to clarify that guessing someone's diagnosis by just looking isn't possible.

Autism is a clinical diagnosis, and unless a player has publicly disclosed it or there is reliable confirmation, any claims remain speculation.

Does Messi Have Autism?

Lionel Messi has never confirmed he is autistic. The rumors, though, have circulated online for years, usually because of his personality and awkward social interactions. Neither of these traits alone can be used to indicate autism.

However, if neurodivergent individuals see an example in Messi's career of how social awkwardness and occasional hyperfocus are not obstacles to a career, his case can still serve as inspiration.

Is Ronaldo Autistic?

No. There is no credible evidence that Cristiano Ronaldo is autistic. The reason Ronaldo seems autistic to certain fans is his strict routines and discipline. In Ronaldo's case, this is hard work, and motivation to do better is what drives him to be so strict about his routines.

Does Haaland Have Autism?

No confirmed information indicates that Erling Haaland is autistic. Some fans have speculated because of his quirkiness and direct communication style. However, Haaland's personality is very open and amusing. It cannot be used as proof that he has autism.

Is Mbappé Autistic?

No. Kylian Mbappé has never publicly disclosed an autism diagnosis. The rumors that Mbappé can potentially have autism started because of his looks. These speculations confirm the need that our society has for autism awareness. Autistic individuals do not share a certain look. Hence, judging whether Mbappé has autism just because he looks a certain way is not appropriate.