The controversy surrounding the 2022 FIFA World Cup is reaching boiling point this week after Germany became the second team to use their game to stage a political protest. Taking to the pitch on Wednesday for their game against Japan, the entire German team covered their mouths to suggest they have been gagged by football’s governing body, FIFA. Six players also wore boots with rainbow stitching to show support for the LGBTQ+ community, with the entire squad sporting tops with rainbow sleeves during their warm-up.
Last week, FIFA warned European teams against wearing their OneLove armbands – which promotes tolerance, diversity, and LGBTQ+ rights, and suggested that players could be booked with a yellow card if they chose to go against uniform regulations. England, alongside six other European teams, had planned to wear the armbands in protest of Qatar’s ban on same-sex relationships.
‘FIFA has been very clear that it will impose sporting sanctions if our captains wear the armbands on the field of play,’ read a statement released from the Football Associations of England, Wales, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands, and Switzerland. ‘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.’
‘We were prepared to pay fines that would normally apply to breaches of kit regulations and had a strong commitment to wearing the armband,’ the statement continued. ‘However, we cannot put our players in the situation where they might be booked or even forced to leave the field of play. We are very frustrated by the FIFA decision which we believe is unprecedented - we wrote to FIFA in September informing them of our wish to wear the One Love armband to actively support inclusion in football and had no response. Our players and coaches are disappointed - they are strong supporters of inclusion and will show support in other ways.’
Announced hours before England’s game against Iran last Sunday, the team took heavy criticism for abandoning their promise to fight for the queer community – after all, protesting for human rights in a country that disregards them is never a safe endeavour, and these men are amongst the most protected and privileged that could. Yes, they may’ve been carded but they don’t, for example, face imprisonment or the death penalty like actual queer community in Qatar do.
Germany
Germany’s protest has been much-appreciated then. It was reinforced by German interior minister, Nancy Faeser, who also wore a OneLove armband as she sat next to FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino during the game. The thought put into their protests, ultimately going around FIFA’s regulations and finding a unique way to support the queer community, is what many wish England would have taken the time to do.
It's particularly stinging because FIFA have responded to Germany’s protest by doing… absolutely nothing. Confirming they will not take action, the only disciplinary investigation they have in fact announced during the World Cup so far is into the homophobic chanting Ecuador fans shouted in their opening game against Qatar.
Iran
Germany isn’t the only team brave enough to use the World Cup as a protest stage. The entire Iranian team also made waves when they chose not to sing their national anthem in protest against their own government. Iran is still in civil unrest after the death of Mahsa Amini invoked mass protests against the lack of freedoms for women.
Iran captain Ehsan Hajsafi also spoke about the fight for women's liberation in a televised press conference ahead of their debut match. ‘I would like to express my condolences to all of the bereaved families in Iran,’ he said. ‘They should know that we are with them, we support them and we sympathise with them.
‘We have to accept the conditions in our country are not right and our people are not happy. We are here but it does not mean we should not be their voice or we must not respect them. Whatever we have is from them. We have to fight. We have to perform and score some goals to present the brave people of Iran with a result. I hope conditions change as to the expectations of the people.’
Fans in the stadium brought signs to the World Cup reading ‘Woman. Life. Freedom’ – the protests' call to action. Another read ‘This is not Iran’s national team; this is Islamic Republic’s team’ in reference to the country that existed peacefully and ensured women’s freedom before the Iranian Revolution in 1979 when the current Iranian regime took power.
Wales
Many fans have also chosen to protest themselves, wearing rainbow memorabilia that is being removed by Qatari security in the stadium. The Football Association of Wales issued a statement this week stating that some of their staff members involved in LGBTQ+ Welsh supporters group The Rainbow Wall, who created rainbow bucket hates with the Welsh FA for the World Cup, had their hats taken off them. Authorities, and FIFA, are yet to respond.
Japan
Japan was also among the teams donning the adidas training kit with rainbow sleeves, worn during warm ups before changing into their usual blue kit.
Belgium
Belgium players were too spotted wearing adidas trainers with rainbows on them, Michy Batshuayi in particular - who tweeted to support the queer community after FIFA demanded the word 'LOVE' was removed from the collar of their kits and told players not to wear their colourful warm-up shirts ahead of their game against Cadanda.
That being said, not all players are on board. Belgium captain Eden Hazard took aim against Germany's protest after the match. 'We are here to play football, I am not here to send a political message, people are better placed for that. We want to be focused on football,' he said.
Canada
He appears to be in the minority though, with Canadian players also sporting the adidas rainbow shoes during their game against Belgium.
So, will England protest?
Teams are speaking out then, with all eyes on England’s game with the USA tomorrow for any sign of speaking out. Previously, goalkeeper Jordan Pickford shared that the team are keen to make a stand for LGTBQ+ rights
‘As a squad we all stand for it,’ he said. ‘We all wanted Harry to wear it, but I think the decision got taken out of our hands as a squad and as players. If Harry wore it and got a yellow card and missed the next game, it’s not going to be ideal for us.’
If players get a yellow card in two separate matches, they receive a one game suspension. The risk then, is that if Harry Kane wore an armband in the Iran game he would only have one card left before risking missing a game. That risk though? Judging by his 36 yellow cards in 297 premiere league appearances, about 12%
Will they take the risk this time or find a different way to protest, like Germany, and stand up for what’s right? One can only hope.