November 19, (THEWILL) – Following the launch of FIFA’s own “social campaign” on the eve of the World Cup, England and Wales captains, Harry Kane and Gareth Bale, will defy the football body by sticking to their decision to wear the “OneLove” rainbow armbands during their World Cup matches.
FIFA came up with a late request that at every match day, all captains were to wear a different armband to support social causes such as “Football unites the world”, “Share the meal”, and “Bring the moves.” The request is coming months after several nations sought permission from FIFA to wear rainbow armbands in Qatar as a protest against prejudice and in support of LGBTQ+ rights.
The appeal went unanswered, and both England and Wales were taken aback by Fifa’s last-minute action on Saturday. But despite the likelihood that they may be penalised for doing so, both FAs have reiterated their determination to wear the rainbow armbands.
Gianni Infantino was questioned about why FIFA’s leadership had not openly backed the rainbow armbands and had instead started its own campaign during Saturday’s news conference in Doha. He answered: “We have clear regulations on armbands. We have and engage in campaigns on different topics, campaigns which are universal. We need to find topics that everyone can adhere to. This is an important element for us.”
The World Food Programme, World Health Organization, and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization will work together with Fifa to execute social campaigns throughout the tournament, as announced on Saturday.
These are the campaigns:
Group stage, round one: #FootballUnitesTheWorld
Group stage, round two: #SaveThePlanet
Group stage, round three: #ProtectChildren #ShareTheMeal
Round of 16: #EducationForAll #FootballForSchools
Quarter-finals: #NoDiscrimination
Semi-finals: #BeActive #BringTheMoves
Third-place and Final: Football Is Joy, Passion, Hope, Love and Peace – #FootballUnitesTheWorld
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
