
The stage was set for England and other 2022 World Cup teams — Wales, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland — to make a statement on the biggest soccer stage there is.
Their captains were going to wear “OneLove” armbands during matches in Qatar. Per USA TODAY Sports: “The ‘OneLove’ campaign originated in the Netherlands and promotes diversity and inclusion in soccer. Several of the game’s most high-profile players, including England captain Harry Kane and Germany captain Manuel Neuer, wore rainbow armbands at the 2020 European championship. They were determined to wear them in Qatar, where the penal code punishes extramarital sex, including same-sex relations, with up to seven years in prison.”