Belgium star Jan Vertonghen believes that players are scared to speak out about issues surrounding the Qatar World Cup because they are being “controlled”.
The tournament has been engulfed by off-the-pitch issues around Qatar, including human rights abuses of migrant workers and the treatment of LGBTQ+ community in a country where homosexuality is illegal. The OneLove armband, which captains of several nations planned to wear to raise awareness and show solidarity with LGBTQ+ people, has become a flashpoint of the discussion.
Captains of England, Wales, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany and Denmark were due to wear the OneLove armbands at the World Cup. But they announced in a joint statement on Monday that the idea had been dropped due to pressure from FIFA, who warned the players would be booked.
