Harry Kane will not be wearing the OneLove armband against Iran as England and other European sides back down from their campaign amid threats from FIFA that captains would be booked for the gesture.
The armbands, which are to support inclusivity, the LGBTQ+ community and other marginalised groups, were instead replaced by FIFA with their own slogans and armband initiative for the tournament on the eve of the competition.
The OneLove campaign, which saw Kane wear the armband in the final two Nations League matches, includes a heart with the rainbow colours and the words OneLove, but FIFA haven't authorised it and said they would impose 'sporting sanctions.'
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The move comes as LGBTQ+ people and other marginalised groups were already underrepresented and sidelined in the lead up to the World Cup due to Qatar's laws on gay rights and women's rights. The move to effectively block the OneLove campaign is just extra ammunition for those already unhappy at the state of the tournament and FIFA.
Here's how social media reacted:
@joethomlinson: Spineless. Genuinely spineless.
@Worville: Wear the armband and take the yellow
@RJPJournalism: The real powerful thing would have been to take the armband and pass it around every player, every squad member and member of staff and see if the referee had the guts to follow protocol.
@Casey_Evans_: Just when you think they couldn't water down the message even more FIFA said hold my non-alcoholic beer
@BethFisherSport: One love until it gets hard aye!
@MsiDouglas: We stand with the LGBT community - unless it means a yellow card. FIFA are going to FIFA so we shouldn't be surprised but FA & other European nations look weak.
@TheExiledRobin: So taking the knee’s ok but wearing a Rainbow armband isn’t? One political & one’s not, how does that work @FIFAcom? “Concentrate on the football” then Infantino does an hr-long speech about politics Completely tied themselves up in knots with this WC. Incredible lack of sense
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