FIFA Womens World Cup news 2023: Matildas celebrate striker Emily Gielniks wedding to long-tim

A number of Matildas have come together to celebrate the wedding of teammate Emily Gielnik to long-time partner Temica Sayer at an intimate ceremony in Tweed, on the far north coast of New South Wales.

Gielnik and Sayer have been together for over eight years, with the former Aston Villa forward cruelly missing out on a part in the Matildas’ historic World Cup run after being struck down by an ankle injury.

Gielnik was named in coach Tony Gustavsson’s preliminary squad for the 2023 edition of the tournament, but was not fit in time – she has scored 11 goals in 54 appearances for the Matildas, dating back to 2012.

She was joined by World Cup stars Ellie Carpenter and Teagan Micah, as well as Chloe Logarzo (who also missed out on selection in the final World Cup squad, having been named in the 29-player preliminary group), and former Matilda Amy Chapman on her special day.

Gielnik wore an all-white suit for the ceremony, while Sayer, the director of a health and wellness centre on the Gold Coast, wore a simple low-cut tie-back dress.

Purple was the colour of choice for a number of Matildas however, with Ellie Carpenter wearing a cropped purple tweed set and Teagan Micah in a satin lavender power suit.

While the tight-knit ceremony was the stuff of dreams, Gielnik has spoken about the difficulties of her relationship with Sayer, particularly when it came to her family.

“My mum being Croatian … being gay was frowned upon, so I never saw how I was going to come out and tell my family,” Gielnik said in a recent documentary.

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“So I tried to live this lie for years. There were a lot of dark times.

“It was really Temica who helped me finally break down being okay being in a same-sex relationship.

“It wasn’t fair for her, for how many years, that I wasn’t open about our relationship – and she’s always stood by me.”

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