The England captain, Leah Williamson, has said she hopes the Lionesses will be able to wear the OneLove armband at the World Cup in July, as the team prepares for three games in the Arnold Clark Cup.
England, Wales and five other European nations were forced to back down from wearing the armband that was intended as a protest at all forms of discrimination at the World Cup in Qatar. The decision came after they were warned by Fifa they would face sporting sanctions and that their captains could be booked or even forced to leave the pitch.
But Williamson, who captained England to victory at Euro 2022, said she is determined to make a statement after wearing a rainbow armband throughout the tournament.
“Obviously, you hope it’s not a last-minute call once we get there but it’s something we want to do all year round and we’ve done previously,” she said. “The statement that was made at the Euros with every team participating was incredible, every picture we have with a trophy lift there’s a rainbow armband in there. It’s a great stage and a great time to promote the values we believe in so much, so I hope it’s the same.
“We’re never shy in saying what we stand for, we’re a squad that promotes inclusivity and equality, we obviously have a number of people that feel very strongly about it,” Williamson said. “It’s not even a question for us, you’ve seen another men’s player [Czech Republic international Jakub Jankto] step out and be as brave as they can be and they’ve changed their whole life. They don’t know what’s coming. So, for us to stand in solidarity with that is important to us but it’s something we’ve always done, it’s something we’ll continue to do. We’re not just impacting football, we’re trying to have a positive impact on society too and that’s one of the ways we can do that.”
England play South Korea on Thursday night before facing Italy and Belgium on Sunday and Wednesday next week, respectively. Sarina Wiegman said Keira Walsh was the only possible absentee, as the defensive midfielder is struggling with a stomach bug.
Arsenal defender Williamson said she also hoped the “best decision is made in the best interests of the game” after the announcement that Saudi Arabia’s state tourism authority had been awarded sponsorship of the Women’s World Cup by Fifa. The tournament hosts, Australia and New Zealand, have spoken out against the decision because of the country’s human rights record, especially relating to women and LGBTQ individuals.
“As players, especially in the women’s game, I’ve seen what the American players have said, we’re not shy to stand up for what we believe in,” said Williamson. “We make clear statements constantly about the society we want to live in and having a positive impact on the world. We’ll always make our opinions heard and that is the nature of the game but ultimately those things are hopefully resolved in a positive way by Fifa and Australia and New Zealand. There’s a time and a place for a player to speak and speak out but it’s not in our hands and hopefully the best decision is made in the best interests of the game.”
