Marching Out Together, the Official Leeds United LGBT+ fan group, have slammed FIFA's 'hypocrisy' after it was decided that England captain Harry Kane would not wear a OneLove armband during his side's World Cup opener against Iran.
England, Wales and five other European nations had initially proposed to wear the armband in support of LGBT+ communities. However, their call has been reversed after being warned by FIFA they would face sporting sanctions.
It had been suggested that each nation's captain may have been booked or even forced to leave the pitch if they opted to wear the accessory. Subsequently, Kane was seen donning a FIFA-approved armband during England's successful performance.
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And Marching Out Together released a statement on Twitter prior to kick-off criticising FIFA's pressure on governing bodies despite previous claims suggesting that the tournament would provide an opportunity to support the integration of LGBTQ+ rights in Qatar.
It reads: "Far from focusing on the football, FIFA are further exposing their own hypocrisy and disregard for equalities and human rights. Having initially tried to justify the Qatar World Cup as an opportunity to broaden the discussion about inclusion and LGBTQ+ rights, their late intervention on armbands (and sadly, the FA's spineless compliance) is yet another sorry example of why we still need to defend the LGBTQ+ community and fight for equality in football and wider society."
Much anger has been vented in the build-up to the competition, with Qatar's appalling human rights record and the debate around 'sportswashing' becoming major topics of discussion.
England eased to a convincing 6-2 win over Iran in their opening Group B fixture.
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