The World Cup in Qatar faces another row last night as it emerged England’s captain Harry Kane could face a booking and potential suspension if he goes through with his decision to wear the OneLove rainbow armband in a mark of solidarity for the LGBT+ community.
For tonight’s game, Kane is determined to wear the rainbow armband ahead of today’s first-round clash in the Middle East state, where homosexuality is still illegal. England’s players will take the knee before the start of their game against Iran on today but Harry Kane must decide whether to support LGBTQ+ rights by wearing the “OneLove” rainbow captain’s armband amid fears that the gesture could earn an instant booking.
The oil-rich nation has faced a barrage of criticism over its treatment of foreign workers, LGBT rights and social restrictions, staking its reputation on delivering a smooth tournament. It has been accused of trying to stage manage the World Cup with ‘fake fans’ to spin positive coverage.
The Football Association, who also confirmed England’s players will take the knee during the tournament, are determined for skipper Kane to wear the armband as a gesture of equality at a tournament that has been overshadowed in negativity over Qatar’s human rights record.
However, FA chiefs were on Sunday night concerned about the possibility of Kane being shown a yellow card if he wears the armband as planned because doing so would contravene FIFA’s laws.
