San Jose Earthquakes center-back Guram Kashia was named the inaugural recipient of the UEFA #EqualGame award on Wednesday for his support of the LGBTQ community last season.
Kashia, 31, wore a rainbow armband while playing for SBV Vitesse for the duration of the team's 2017-18 Eredivisie campaign, despite drawing a negative reaction from some in his native Georgia for the action.
The award, which will be handed out at the Champions League draw on Aug. 30 in Monaco, was created as part of UEFA's #EqualGame campaign to help ensure "that everyone has the right to enjoy football, irrespective of ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, social background or religious beliefs."
Guram Kashia