FIFA was pressured on Wednesday by several European football associations to have their captains wear rainbow heart bracelets during the World Cup matches in Qatar, in order to campaign against discrimination.
The last two world champions France and Germany are among eight of 13 European finalists in Qatar who have joined the One Love campaign, which started in the Netherlands. The Dutch national team will meet Qatar in Group A on November 29.
FIFA rules prohibit teams from submitting their own armband designs for the World Cup and specify that they must use equipment provided by the governing body.
The bracelets are the latest battleground for players to spread political messages regarding the World Cup in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal and human rights violations are a constant practice.
“Wearing the armband together on behalf of our teams will send a clear signal when the world is watching,” England captain Harry Kane said in a statement.
The Swiss Football Association said it wanted its captain Granit Xhaka to wear a bracelet on which “you can see a heart of different colors, representing the diversity of humanity”.
Soccer players have used fields to send messages, such as kneeling on the field for “Premier League” games for two seasons, following the death of George Floyd, a black man murdered by a police officer in the United States.
FIFA has accepted the kneeling act and must now decide whether to support some of its most influential member associations, in a gesture that could embarrass Qatar.
The bracelet campaign was launched a day after the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, spoke at the United Nations General Assembly in New York and promised a World Cup without discrimination.
Polish captain Robert Lewandowski said this week he would bring an armband with the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag to Qatar as a sign of support for a country invaded by Russia on Feb. 24.
A love ️
In a statement against discrimination and for diversity, @Manuel_Neuer will wear a special captain’s armband for our upcoming Nations League matches and during the World Cup in Qatar ©️ pic.twitter.com/fiORl1Nu0t
– Germany (@DFB_Team_EN) September 21, 2022
Source: DN
