Sports
Fifa Bans LGBTQ Rainbow Armband from 2022 World Cup
England, Germany, and five other European World Cup teams abandoned plans to wear LGBTQ rights rainbow themed armbands on Monday, citing the threat of FIFA disciplinary action.
“FIFA has been very clear that if our teams wear the armbands on the field of play, it will impose sporting sanctions,” the seven teams said in a joint statement.
Under FIFA rules, players who wear clothing that hasn’t been approved by the world governing body of football may be shown a yellow card.
If that player received a second yellow card, they would be dismissed.
The “OneLove” LGBTQ rights armband, which will be worn by England Harry Kane and Germany’s Manuel Neuer, is part of a campaign to promote inclusivity.
The armbands were widely interpreted as a symbolic protest against laws in Qatar, the World Cup host country, that make homosexuality illegal.
“As national football federations, we cannot put our players in situations where they may face sporting sanctions such as bookings. We have advised the team captains not to attempt to wear the LGBTQ rights armbands at the 2022 FIFA World Cup the football teams of Switzerland, Wales, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and England stated.
The decision was made just hours before England was set to begin their 2022 Fifa World Cup campaign against Iran, and the Netherlands were set to begin their tournament against Senegal. Wales will also face the United States later on Monday.
On Saturday, Germany’s veteran captain, Manuel Neuer, insisted he would wear the “OneLove” armband regardless of the sanction threat.
“We have the full support of the (German Football Association), and we have no fear,” Neuer said.
Kane said he would be “honoured” to join fellow World Cup captains in donning the LGBTQ rainbow armband when the “OneLove” initiative was announced in September.
“As team captains, we may be competing against each other on the field, but we stand united in our opposition to all forms of discrimination,” Kane said.
It’s especially important at a time when societal division is common.” When the world is watching, wearing the rainbow armband together on behalf of our football teams will send a clear message.”
Qatar’s anti-homosexuality laws have been a source of contention in the run-up to the World Cup.
Khalid Salman, a former Qatari international and World Cup ambassador, sparked outrage earlier this month when he called homosexuality “mental damage” in an interview with German television.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, on the other hand, has repeatedly stated that all fans and visitors to the finals, regardless of sexual orientation, will be welcomed.
“I’ve been discussing this with the highest levels of leadership, and they can confirm that I can confirm that every person is welcome,” Infantino said before the tournament began.
“If you believe the opposite, you are not representing the country or FIFA.” Everyone who visits Qatar is welcome.”
“Today we feel betrayed,” said the Football Supporters’ Association, which represents fans in England and Wales. Today, we have contempt for an organization that has demonstrated its true values by handing out yellow cards to players and red cards to tolerance.
“It’s incredible that FIFA is censoring football players… who want to share a positive message on the morning of England’s World Cup opener.”
England’s players kneeled at the start of their World Cup campaign, just hours after they were barred from wearing LGBTQ rights rainbow armbands.
Captain Harry Kane led the gesture moments before the 1pm kickoff in Qatar against Iran.
The 2022 World Cup is becoming one of the most politically woke in recent memory, with several controversies already dogged the competition.
England took a knee as they began their first 2022 Fifa World Cup match against Iran in one of the most politically woke matches in English football history, following a row over Harry Kane wearing a rainbow captain’s armband, which was dropped after FIFA pressure.
Declan Rice, Harry Maguire, and Jude Bellingham took a knee on the pitch before the match against Iran.
Kane wore the official FIFA ‘No Discrimination’ armband after taking off his England jacket after the national anthems. The rainbow armband was supposed to be worn, but the threat of a booking kept it from happening.
Kane was solemn as he led the team onto the pitch. The FA decided that the risk of a yellow card was too great for the England captain to wear the ‘OneLove’ rainbow armband.
Alan Shearer said today that Kane was put in an impossible situation ahead of one of the most important matches of his career but that he would have worn the armband himself.
Kane wore the official FIFA ‘No Discrimination’ armband after taking off his England jacket after the national anthems.
The Iranian anthem was met with loud whistles, with the entire Iran team opting not to sing.
The English team then took a knee, and Harry Kane appeared to raise his fist, but the Iranians did not.
The Football Association was chastised for asking Harry Kane not to wear the ‘OneLove’ LGBTQ rights rainbow armband for England’s World Cup opener.
The armband represents LGBTQ rights, and captain Kane has stated that he plans to wear it at kickoff at 1pm. In Qatar, homosexuality is still illegal.
However, FIFA has strict rules regarding player attire, and the armband is not permitted under the code.
Kane could have received an immediate booking if he walked out wearing the ‘OneLove’ band this afternoon.
If he wore the LGBTQ rights arm band in their second game, the captain could have received another yellow card, effectively disqualifying him from the third game.
The Football Association issued a statement saying, ‘We have asked the team captains not to attempt to wear the LGBTQ rights armband in FIFA 2022 World Cup games.’
‘We cannot put our players in a position where they could be carded or forced to leave the field of play.’
‘Spineless’ began trending on Twitter minutes after the announcement. ‘The FA should not buckle under pressure,’ one fan said.
‘Predictably, it’s the spineless FA who have withered at the first sign of resistance,’ said another.
