The “One Love” armbands for the 2022 World Cup have been outlawed by FIFA.
Any modification to the equipment worn by players on the field, according to the international football regulatory body, requires its consent.
FIFA attempted to settle a disagreement with European teams during a contentious World Cup meeting regarding the usage of unofficial captain armbands to promote Qatar in an anti-discrimination campaign.
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The decision came hours after England captain Harry Kane and several other national captains said they would defy any prospective ban on the rainbow armbands.
Kane wore the “OneLove” armband for the two most recent Nations League games in September, but the governing body did not respond to the English FA’s calls for authorisation.
However, it didn’t work out.
‘Football unites’
FIFA pushed the seven European soccer federations to reconsider allowing their captains to don the “One Love” armbands, which feature a heart-shaped, multicoloured logo meant to advocate LGBT rights.
FIFA attempted to convince the Europeans at the most recent meeting with a counterproposal of armbands with generic but socially conscious slogans, which was announced on Saturday.
“Football unites the world” and “Share the meal,” among other social messages, were to be promoted by FIFA’s proposed armbands, according to a statement from FIFA.
The governing body is now at odds with groups like Germany, whose captain Manuel Neuer stated he will continue to wear a “OneLove” armband.
“Other European nations are wearing (the armband) and it is good we are doing it together,” Neuer said on Saturday.
Christian Eriksen of Denmark stated that regardless of any FIFA sanctions, his nation’s captain Simon Kjaer would also be donning the rainbow armband.
“We as a country are wearing it, our captain will be wearing the OneLove armband,” Eriksen said. “What the consequences will be I don’t know, but we’ll see.”
Additionally, the English FA is rumoured to be prepared to support the “OneLove” campaign regardless and to be asking for clarification regarding the compatibility of the FIFA and rainbow armbands.
Virgil van Dijk, the captain of the Netherlands team, who will play against Senegal today, made reference to the possibility of receiving a penalty.
“I will wear the one love armband tomorrow. Nothing changed from our point of view. If I will get a yellow card for wearing it then we would have to discuss it because I don’t like to play while being on a yellow [card],” he said, according to The Telegraph.
Since being awarded the opportunity to host the World Cup in 2010, Qatar has been the subject of more intense international criticism on LGBT and human rights problems.
Insisting that everyone is welcome at the World Cup, the World Cup hosts have accused detractors of using “double standards” by singling out Qatar for unprecedented criticism.
