European teams abandon pro-LGBTQ armband at World Cup in Qatar
Qatar’s first World Cup has gotten off to a rocky start due to human rights issues in the Gulf state, the ban on alcohol sales and other flashpoints.
European soccer teams have backed down from their plan to wear arm bands in support of LGBTQ people.
What happened: The captains of the men’s soccer teams of England, Wales, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland and France had planned to wear a rainbow-colored armband reading “OneLove” during their World Cup matches. The Royal Dutch Football Association, which led the initiative, said the band represents that people love soccer regardless of their “heritage, race, gender identity and sexual orientation.”
However, on Saturday, the International Association Football Federation (FIFA) released a statement announcing its own messaging for the World Cup and saying, “These campaigns have taken into account feedback received from our member association.”
Some of the European teams reportedly still planned wear the “OneLove” armbands. However, FIFA released another statement today announcing a “NoDiscrimination” armband and reiterating that armbands worn by players must be approved by the body. FIFA also declared its “support of the LGBTQI+ community” in the statement.
