UK football fans who donned LGBTQ+ hats at the World Cup in Qatar have branded FIFA "disgusting" after saying they had the attire confiscated at the stadium.
The Rainbow Wall, a group of LGBTQ+ supporters of the Wales team, sported rainbow pride flag versions of the iconic bucket hats worn by Welsh fans in the 'Red Wall' as they prepared to watch their team face off against the USA. But as they tried to get into the stadium, they said they were forced to take off the hats or face missing out on seeing the match.
Former Wales footballer Laura McAllister was among those in the group who said she had her rainbow hat confiscated at the Ahmed Bin Ali stadium. She told ITV News that she initially refused to remove her hat, but was told by security that she would not be allowed into the stadium unless she did so.
READ MORE: BBC's Alex Scott wears One Love armband in defiant World Cup move for England v Iran
"When we got through security, some of the security guards said that we had to take the hat off," Laura said. "When I asked them why they said because it was a banned symbol, and that we weren't allowed to wear it in the stadium.
"I pointed out that FIFA had made lots of comments about supporting LGBT rights in this tournament," she said. At a press conference prior to the World Cup kicking off, FIFA president Gianni Infantino insisted that "everyone is welcome" in Qatar following widespread concern and criticism from the public.
Homosexuality is illegal in the country and is punishable by fines and up to seven years in prison, leading to an outcry from many fans that it was selected to host the World Cup. Despite FIFA's repeated insistence that LGBTQ+ football fans are safe and welcome at this year's tournament, there have already been several instances where displays of solidarity with the queer community have been quashed by officials in Qatar.
Earlier today, the England team confirmed that captain Harry Kane would no longer wear his OneLove armband during the opening match against Iran after FIFA threatened players with yellow cards for doing so. In a statement, the FA said: "FIFA has been very clear that it will impose sporting sanctions if our captains wear the armbands on the field of play.
"As national federations, we can’t put our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions including bookings, so we have asked the captains not to attempt to wear the armbands in FIFA World Cup games." The football association added that they were "very frustrated" with FIFA's decision to impose sanctions on players for wearing the armband, which sports the colours of the Pride flag.
After their rainbow hats were confiscated, The Rainbow Wall wrote on Twitter: "This World Cup is a shambles. But we love our Wales, we want our team to win and do well. FIFA, your disgusting behaviour will not shake our Welsh Pride. #TogetherStrong #WeBelong."
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