7 World Cup teams abandon armbands in support of LGBTQ community following FIFA warning
Seven European World Cup teams have abandoned their plans to have their captains wear armbands in support of the LGBTQ community after FIFA announced they would be given a yellow card penalty if they did.
The captains of England, Wales, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland intended to wear the bands in conservative host country Qatar, even willing to pay fines if necessary, however, were unwilling to let their players be penalized, The Washington Post reports. "As national federations, we can't put our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions including bookings," the teams said in a statement.
The bands were part of the "One Love" campaign started by the Dutch Football Association. While not directly referencing the LGBTQ community, the armbands featured the iconic rainbow flag, a symbol of the community, Time explains. "This is an important message which suits the game of football: on the field everybody is equal and this should be the case in every place in society," said Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk back in 2020.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Qatar is notoriously anti-LGBTQ, and gay marriage is criminalized in the country. It has also arrested members of the LGBTQ community according to Human Rights Watch. The way Qatar has handled hosting the World Cup has sparked widespread controversy, with some boycotting the event altogether.
"We are very frustrated by the FIFA decision which we believe is unprecedented," the teams said, adding that they "will show support in other ways."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.
-
Climate change is threatening Florida's Key deer
The Explainer Questions remain as to how much effort should be put into saving the animals
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
TV to watch in November, from 'Dune: Prophecy' and 'A Man on the Inside'
The Week Recommends A new comedy from 'The Good Place' creator, a prequel to 'Dune' and the conclusion of one of America's most popular shows
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
Daniel Lurie: San Francisco's moderate next mayor
In the Spotlight Lurie beat a fellow Democrat, incumbent Mayor London Breed, for the job
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Europe roiled by attacks on Israeli soccer fans
Speed Read Israeli fans supporting the Maccabi Tel Aviv team clashed with pro-Palestinian protesters in 'antisemitic attacks,' Dutch authorities said
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
New York wins WNBA title, nearly nabs World Series
Speed Read The Yankees with face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the upcoming Fall Classic
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Caitlin Clark the No. 1 pick in bullish WNBA Draft
Speed Read As expected, she went to the Indiana Fever
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
South Carolina ends perfect season with NCAA title
Speed Read The women's basketball team won a victory over superstar Caitlin Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Iowa's Caitlin Clark breaks NCAA scoring record
speed read College basketball star Caitlin Clark set the new record in Iowa's defeat of Ohio State
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Eight-year-old Brit Bodhana Sivanandan makes chess history
Speed Read Sivanandan has been described as a 'phenomenon' by chess masters
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Saudi Arabia's 2034 World Cup: glitz, glamour and 'grimly inevitable'
Talking Point Critics claim country is guilty of sportswashing as it stands unopposed to host tournament
By Julia O'Driscoll, The Week UK Published
-
The NHL flip-flops on its LGBTQ+ policies
Under the Radar The world's premier hockey league has grappled with anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment among some of its players, and not everyone loves the response
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published