Mueez Ajao
– England and Wales are still expected to wear the OneLove captain’s armband at the World Cup despite Fifa launching its own armband initiative.
– Fifa announced new armbands in partnership with three United Nations agencies on the eve of the tournament.
– The armbands will feature a different social campaign throughout each round.
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– The captains of nine countries, including England and Wales, had planned to wear the OneLove armband to promote diversity and inclusion.
– The Netherlands began the OneLove campaign prior to Euro 2020 as a message against discrimination.
– Same-sex relationships and the promotion of same-sex relationships are criminalised in Qatar.
– The Football Association (FA) knew nothing concrete about the new Fifa armbands before Friday night.
– FA statement: “We respect the fifa armband but are committed to the One Love armband and intend to wear it.”
– The quarter-finals theme of Fifa’s new armband will be #NoDiscrimination.
– Other themes include #SaveThePlanet, #ProtectChildren, #EducationForAll and #BeActive.
– On Saturday, Fifa president Gianni Infantino accused the West of “hypocrisy” in its reporting about Qatar’s human rights record.
