Alan Shearer has claimed that was "not fair" for the England players to have to deal with the backlash of the OneLove armbands U-turn.
Harry Kane was expected to sport the armband in the Three Lions' Group B opener against Iran on Monday in a show of solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. However, the FA announced a dramatic backtrack on the morning of the game amid threats of on-pitch sanctions for the England captain.
The Three Lions were not the only nation to abandon their initial plans with the likes of the Netherlands, Germany, Wales and more also issuing statements. That will see Kane and his fellow captains sport FIFA's official 'No Discrimination' armband.
Ahead of England's opening match against Iran, Shearer was not happy with The FA in handing the responsibility over to the players within Gareth Southgate's squad. Speaking on the BBC's pre-match coverage, he said: "I don't think it's fair on the players having to deal with this the morning of the game.
"They have done incredible off the pitch, on the pitch and during the pandemic. They knew it was in the rulebook they weren't allowed to wear the armband so to face these questions and put statements out… it's not fair on the players having to deal with this.
"One of the biggest games they could face and on the morning of a World Cup game, about the kick-off, all the players should be thinking about is winning the game."
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Meanwhile, fellow former England forward Gary Lineker sent a subtle jibe towards FIFA president Gianni Infantino following his bizarre speech before the tournament got underway. He said: "Another day, another controversy.
Seven European nations including England and Wales will not wear the OneLove anti-discrimination armbands after FIFA threatened players could be punished by doing so in a joint statement the teams said: "As national federations, we cannot put our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions including bookings. We are frustrated by the FIFA decision which we think is unprecedented. Gianni Infantino not feeling armbands today."
Whilst the England side were not allowed to display their armbands against Iran, that did not stop the BBC or former Lioness Alex Scott in getting in on the action. During a pre-match discussion at pitch-side with presenter Kelly Sommers, she was pictured with her own OneLove armband.
Former England right-back Scott, who has 140 caps for her country, has been a vocal critic of Qatar's human rights record and treatment of LGBTQ+ people in the build-up to the World Cup.
