Captains of seven European nations had planned to wear ‘OneLove’ armbands that featured the rainbow in the shape of a heart. But on the eve of England’s opening game against Iran, FIFA warned that skipper Harry Kane ran the risk of ‘sporting sanctions’ if he took to the pitch sporting the accessory.
Kane instead wore a FIFA-sanctioned armband with vague anti-dscrimination messaging. Germany, another of the seven nations who planned to wear the armband, covered their mouths in a team photo to portray the feeling of being silenced.
FIFA – in cooperation with the Qatari authorities – promised that nobody sporting the rainbow would be approached, detained or prosecuted. Some will therefore remember this World Cup for all the wrong reasons.
