Harry Kane has been warned that the World Cup is not a place for political statements, after reports he'll wear the One Love armband no matter what FIFA say.
Earlier this year, it was reported that a group of captains at the World Cup were going to wear armbands with the rainbow colours on them, sporting the message 'One Love.'
It was in aid of showing solidarity for the LGBTQIA+ community, in the face of Qatar's criminalisation of same-sex relationships, and the human rights issues in the country.
Advert
A UEFA committee has written to FIFA about the intention of certain countries, including England and Wales, to wear the armbands.
They have yet to hear back if the organisers of the World Cup will allow them to wear the armband but there have been reports that Harry Kane will wear it no matter what.
The England captain's insistence on wearing it will likely cause controversy in the Middle East, and he has now been 'warned' not to go through with it.
Advert
The chief executive of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy for the Qatar tournament, Nasser Al Khater, has told the Tottenham Hotspur that the World Cup should not be used as a "platform of political statements."
"From what I understand, there are discussions taking place about the different political messages that are going to be," Al Khateer told Sky News.
"This is a sporting tournament that people want to come [to] and enjoy. Turning it into a platform of political statements, I don’t think is right for the sport."
Qatar's World Cup chief, Nasser Al Khater, has given assurances to LGBTQ+ fans that they will be welcomed at the tournament.
Al Khater also said the country would not be willing to change their laws on same sex relationships but did claim that members of the LGBTQIA+ community would be welcome.
Advert
"All we ask is for people to be respectful of the culture," he added.
"At the end of the day, as long as you don't do anything that harms other people, if you're not destroying public property, as long as you're behaving in a way that's not harmful, then everybody's welcome and you have nothing to worry about."
The United Kingdom's Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly claimed he would 'absolutely support' Kane and the FA over their stance on the 'One Love' armband.
It will not be the first time that a captain has made a stance against a country with a poor record on same sex relationship rights during a tournament.
Advert
Manuel Neuer wore a rainbow armband during Germany's Euro 2020 group game against Hungary, with some advertisement hoardings around the pitch also featuring the colours.
However, UEFA did stop the Allianz Arena from displaying the rainbow colours around the ground ahead of the match last year.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Football World Cup, Qatar, Harry Kane, England, Tottenham Hotspur