FIFA have told the Football Association that their rules do not permit Harry Kane to wear the “OneLove” armband at the World Cup in Qatar.
Nine nations including England, Wales, Germany, Netherlands and Belgium agreed in September to wear the armband as a symbol of diversity, inclusion and antidiscrimination amid concerns over World Cup hosts Qatar’s human rights record (Marca).
While not directly referencing anti-LGBT laws, the armband is intended to promote inclusivity and there are concerns among some of the nations that each captain could receive a yellow card at kickoff from the referee in each match (The Telegraph).
England captain Harry Kane has already made his intentions clear that he intends to wear the multicolour armband when the Three Lions take to the field in their Group B opener against Iran tomorrow and is ready to face the prospect of a yellow card (The Sun).
SpursWeb Opinion
England are one of the nations trying to lead from the front in promoting inclusivity, if FIFA are to instruct referees to book a captain upon kick-off, the most logical workaround would be to name a different captain for each match to help Kane avoid a suspension.
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