England captain Harry Kane will don a OneLove armband at next month’s World Cup in support of the LQBTQ+ community, even if FIFA enforce sanctions.
England, who are 7/1 to claim World Cup glory in current football betting, are one of nine nations including France and Germany who have signed up to the initiative, which aims to target anti-discriminatory attitudes.
Homosexuality remains illegal in the host nation, and those found ‘guilty’ can face punishments of up to three years in prison or even the possibility of the death penalty under sharia law for Muslims.
The FA announced they are determined for Kane to wear the rainbow-clad captain’s armband throughout the tournament even if FIFA issue fines, although the governing body have yet to confirm their stance over the initiative.
Permission is required from FIFA regardless, and the The UEFA Working Group have already requested the possibility; update may be give on Wednesday when a delegation travel to their headquarters in Zurich.
The Netherlands were the first team to get the ball rolling for the OneLove campaign prior to Euro 2020, while England and Kane first featured the armband during last month’s Nations League fixtures against Italy and Germany.
The 29-year-old said: “I am honoured to join my fellow national team captains in supporting the important OneLove campaign.
“As captains we may all be competing against each other on the pitch, but we stand together against all forms of discrimination. This is even more relevant at a time when division is common in society.”
Discrimination towards same-sex relationships is just one among a multitude of controversies surrounding the tournament, with treatment over migrant workers as well as fears over the readiness of fan accommodation refusing to die down.
Elsewhere, Denmark’s kit supplier Hummel revealed the nation’s home and away designs for next month, which includes a resolute protest against the cultural values of Qatar.
The monochrome designs have toned down their branding in an attempt to remain “invisible during a tournament that has cost thousands of people their lives.” An all black design, which Hummel relate to the ‘colour of mourning’, is Denmark’s striking third strip.
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