GENEVA (AP) Several European soccer federations pressured FIFA on Wednesday to allow their captains to wear an armband with a rainbow heart design during World Cup games in Qatar to fight discrimination.
Eight of the 13 European soccer teams travelling to Qatar, including France and Germany, participated in the "One Love" campaign, which was first launched in the Netherlands. France and Germany are the most recent World Cup victors. On November 29, the Dutch team takes on Qatar in Group A.
FIFA regulations state that teams must use equipment provided by the governing body and are not allowed to bring their own armband designs to the World Cup.
The latest battleground for players to promote political themes related to the World Cup being held in Qatar, where gay acts are prohibited, and the treatment of migrant workers employed on the tournament's construction projects has been a source of controversy for ten years.
When the entire world is watching, "wearing the armband together on behalf of our teams will send a strong message," England captain Harry Kane said in a statement.
Granit Xhaka's armband should have a heart with a variety of colours to symbolise the diversity of humanity, according to the Swiss Soccer Federation.
In recent years, soccer players have embraced their platform to express themselves. For two seasons following the death of George Floyd, a Black man killed by a police officer in the United States, taking a knee on the pitch before Premier League games was standard practise.
FIFA, which encouraged kneeling, must now decide whether to support some of its most powerful member federations in a move that might put Qatar in the public eye.
The Welsh soccer federation released a statement, "A request to FIFA has also been submitted asking that permission be obtained for the armbands to be worn throughout the FIFA World Cup."
One day after the Emir of Qatar addressed the UN General Assembly in New York, guaranteeing a World Cup without prejudice, the armband campaign was started.
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani promised other world leaders in a speech that "the Qatari people will welcome with open arms football lovers from all walks of life."
Belgium and Denmark were two of the eight European teams supporting the "One Love" campaign for human rights. Croatia, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, and Spain were the five European nations that had qualified for the World Cup but did not compete on Wednesday.
However, the two-time FIFA world player of the year and Poland captain Robert Lewandowski announced last week that he would bring an armband to Qatar that featured the blue and yellow colors of Ukraine's flag.
Poland declined to take against Russia, the nation hosting the 2018 World Cup, in a playoff game in March. Due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, UEFA and FIFA prohibited Russian soccer teams from participating in international competitions before the game.
Login To Leave a Comment