The captains of seven European national teams, led by Harry Kane and Virgil Van Dijk, would have wanted to wear the ‘One Love’ strip during World Cup matches in Qatar, but FIFA effectively banned it, forcing federations to issue a statement and announce the waiver of the initiative: “FIFA has been very clear about the penalties our captains would face for wearing the ‘One Love’ banner on the pitch. As a federation we cannot put our players in this position, so we have asked the captains to desist from this.
We were prepared to pay fines, but we can’t put players in a position to be penalized or maybe forced off the field. We are very frustrated with FIFA’s decision, our players and coaches are disappointed. They are strong supporters of inclusiveness and will show support in other ways.” FIFA, through President Infantino, reaffirmed its commitment against all forms of discrimination, but at the
same time invited all World Cup participants to respect the rules:
“Following discussions, FIFA can confirm that its ‘No Discrimination’ campaign has been brought forward from the planned quarter-final stage, so that all 32 captains have the opportunity to wear the armband during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
This is in accordance with Article 13.8.1 of the FIFA Equipment Regulations, which states: For FIFA final competitions, the captain of each team must wear the captain’s armband provided by FIFA.
The Qatar 2022 Norld Cup Regulations, approved by all participants in the game, exist to preserve the integrity of all participants and are equally applicable to all competing teams.
“FIFA is an inclusive organization that wants to put football to the benefit of society, supporting good and legitimate causes, but this must be done within the framework of competition rules known to all.” FIFA President Gianni Infantino reaffirmed his support for the LGBTQI+ community during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar: “I have spoken to the highest leadership of the national teams on this matter. They have confirmed it and I can confirm that everyone is welcome. If someone says otherwise, well, it’s not the country’s opinion and it’s certainly not FIFA’S opinion.”