Tifanny gets emotional on podium with Osasco after being left out of World Cup

Striker Tifanny Abreu was moved this Sunday 14 when she stood on the podium with the other players and the technical staff of Osasco, who won bronze at the Club World Cup, after being excluded from the competition because she is trans.

At the end of the match against Praia Clube, which ended with three sets to zero for Osasco, Tifanny joined her colleagues on the podium and also won a bronze medal. She could not hold back her tears during the tribute and in front of the audience at the Arena Mercado Livre Pacaembu, in the center of São Paulo, who were shouting for her.

“It was a great emotion, because we do everything together. We are a team, we are a body, we are a heart. They won this medal for me, for everything I have experienced, for everything I am still experiencing. This emotion is knowing that I am loved by everyone, by the entire committee and by the entire platform,” said the athlete in a conversation with the press.

“Even though they eliminated me, they didn’t take away the love that people feel for me and what I feel for the sport. I will never give up, because when they eliminate a trans person in sport, they destroy society, they destroy a space of inclusion in sport. I did nothing wrong, I have nothing wrong. I expose myself to all the rules and what is happening now is absurd,” Tifanny added.

The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) Gender Eligibility Committee banned her from participating in the Club World Cup. The participation of trans athletes in the competition must be analyzed by the committee, which can take into account different factors, such as weight, height, muscle mass, testosterone levels and even sports performance and participation as another gender.

Osasco appealed after Tifanny’s participation was blocked by the committee, which was underway during the World Cup, but the athlete was unable to enter the field.

Throughout the competition, Osasco fans showed their support for Tifanny. Before Sunday’s match, central Valquíria lifted a jersey with his colleague’s name and showed it to the stands, who reacted by shouting Tifanny’s name.

Tiffany is going to take the photo with the team on the podium with the gym all applauding her 🥹 pic.twitter.com/hDO2QCU4Zs

–lu (@sfvmontibeller) December 14, 2025