England captain Harry Kane should be able to wear an armband supporting LGBT+ rights during the World Cup, a Tory minister has said.
Robert Jenrick said it was "perfectly right" for England and Wales to promote diversity and inclusion when they play overseas "particularly in a country that doesn't uphold the same standards".
Kane and Wales skipper Gareth Bale could face punishment if they don the armbands for their opening games in Qatar today, with football bosses holding crunch talks to establish whether they will get immediate bookings.
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said there were "live" discussions going on with Fifa about whether the captains could continue to back the OneLove campaign, which was launched by the Netherlands ahead of Euro 2020.
Footballers have been under pressure to speak out against human rights abuses in Qatar and repressive LGBT laws.
Asked if Kane should wear the armband, Mr Jenrick told TimesRadio: "I'm fine with him wearing that.
"I think it's a decision for Harry Kane. He's the captain of the team. He's been a great captain.
"I think we all respect and are willing the team on. It's a decision for him whether he chooses to do that. And we as a country, obviously and rightly have high values when it comes to LGBT community freedoms.
"And it's perfectly right for a British team to make that clear when they play overseas, particularly in a country that doesn't uphold the same standards."
The Immigration Minister also signalled that the Government had toned down its combative stance around footballers "taking the knee" to protest against racism following last years Euros.
Boris Johnson's Government got into a row after the PM initially failed to condemn fans booing players for making the anti-racist gesture.
But Mr Jenrick told Sky News that he was "fine with" England players making the gesture before games and it was not for the Government to tell them what to do.
Asked about taking the knee, he said: "I'm fine with that. I think that's a choice for Harry Kane and the team, and indeed for Wales as well.
"These are their choices, it's not for the Government to tell them what to do. And I think when you're playing a country like Qatar, which does have different standards in the way it treats for example the LGBT community, it's perfectly legitimate for English and Welsh teams to make that stand."
