Borja Iglesias: Football, therapy and championing fairness

Celta fans have plenty of reasons to celebrate Borja Iglesias. Having scored the goal that secured Celta a spot in this season’s UEFA Europa League while on loan – ending the club’s nine-year absence from UEFA club competitions – the veteran forward made the move permanent before playing a role in Celta’s successful league phase campaign.

And, alongside his on-pitch contributions, the Spanish striker has regularly displayed a mature understanding of mental health, and a willingness to stand up against injustice and prejudice.

"We sometimes shut off our feelings to become less vulnerable," Iglesias explained. "However, I think that sometimes we need to express them, experiment with our emotions and have tools to take care of ourselves, both in sport and beyond. I think it’s very important for our personal lives, too, in terms of how we treat ourselves, how we relate to others and how we can improve our way of living."

Embracing help

It was through football that Iglesias was first introduced to therapy, when he worked with the psychologist at Villarreal’s youth teams. He has embraced mental health support tools ever since.

"People were scared of therapy in the past because others would think that they were mad, right? But nowadays I think we understand that it’s another way of taking care of ourselves, another way of growing and of treating others better, too," he said.

"When I’ve not allowed myself to show my true colours, I’ve not felt very comfortable. So, I try to show myself as honestly as possible. I also try to learn from others, and there are many platforms to do this. If used properly, they are very healthy and helpful."

Borja Iglesias prepares for a UEFA Europa League match at the Estadio Balaidos UEFA via Getty Images

Making a stand

For Iglesias, raising awareness of injustice is important to his sense of self, and in 2020 he began to take to the field with painted nails as a message of inclusion, at first in relation to the Black Lives Matter protests and subsequently in support of other campaigns of tolerance.

"I'd already painted my nails in private at home, but I'd never dared to do it [for a match]," Iglesias explains. "What happened in the United States was shocking and brutal, and I wanted to raise awareness."

Iglesias’s actions caught the attention of media. "There was quite a stir. But my main goal was to help and raise awareness whenever I saw something I didn't like – to act upon it."

Football for all

Iglesias has been the subject of homophobic abuse on a number of occasions since, but supporters have rallied around him. Following such chants during a league match in January 2026, Celta fan groups responded by attending matches with their own nails painted, a powerful demonstration that football should be a place for all.

Borja Iglesias and Celta teammate Hugo Alvarez play with painted nails in an anti-homophobia gesture in January 2026 UEFA via Getty Images

It was not the first time that Iglesias has been the face of a campaign, with the striker having featured in a social media video in which he ‘came out’ as heterosexual to illustrate the level of attention, pressure and discrimination that members of the LGBTQ+ community face. The video went viral, and Iglesias says the impact of the campaign is one of his proudest moments.

"It’s one of the things I'm proudest of. Sometimes, football struggles to include certain sections of society, and I think it [the campaign] really helped to make football reach a wider audience and to create a nice environment. I'm so happy about this."