FIFA are set to investigate and potentially intervene to prevent Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane from wearing a OneLove armband when he captains England at the upcoming World Cup.
As England prepare for the World Cup in Qatar this winter, results and performances on the pitch have come under scrutiny. The national team are now on their worst run of results since 1993.
There were promising signs in the Nations League match against Germany yesterday though, as England rallied to a 3-3 draw from two goals down. The Three Lions should have won, too, were it not for a late error from Nick Pope allowing the Germans to equalise.
Spurs star Harry Kane added to his international tally with a penalty, making it 51 goals in 74 games (Transfermarkt).
All eyes will be on Kane in the tournament, but there has already been plenty of talk about what some of the players could be wearing in Qatar.
Kane has stated he will be wearing a OneLove captain’s armband in Qatar, to ‘promote inclusion and send a message against discrimination’ (Mirror).
According to an ex-UEFA and World Cup referee Keith Hackett, FIFA is looking to prevent this from happening and will try to make Kane wear a standard captain’s armband supplied by the governing body (Football Insider).
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He said: “What we might find is that some degree of intervention before the tournament even begins. What usually happens is FIFA lay down some very strong ground rules as to what can or cannot be seen.
“Before every game, there is a detailed inspection of the kit. They check on the advertising to see if there is any and whether it conforms with FIFA regulations. They will check on this armband, that is expected to be worn, and whether it is allowed.
“It might be great that they are going to wear it but when they get to the tournament let’s see how it goes. Invariably, the competitions provide the armbands for the captains because they show the FIFA logo on them.
“I think it’s likely that FIFA will likely try to restrict it. At the tournament, through their processes they will say ‘Sorry, no, the captains have to wear the armbands that are designated by the competition=.
“There is a clear political issue here that FIFA are ignoring and have ignored from day one. They’ve gone through the process, given them the final and they should have said it in year one ‘You can have the World Cup, providing you meet these scenarios’. But it’s about money.”
Spurs Web Opinion
The decision to hold the World Cup in Qatar this winter is problematic on so many levels. Not only does it interrupt the league season and cause fixture congestion that will be harmful to the players, but it also presents an undeniable moral dilemma.
The fact that Kane, and his fellow captains at the tournament want to wear the OneLove armbands is just one tiny gesture that can elicit some kind of positive change through the tournament, and for FIFA to deny that, would be heinous.
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