In the most controversial World Cup ever, a new controversy reared its head just hours before both England and Wales got their Qatar 2022 campaigns underway. Both countries had indicated that their captains - Harry Kane and Gareth Bale - would wear OneLove captain’s armbands during their respective opening fixtures and throughout the tournament.
However, just hours before the World Cup started, world football’s governing body, FIFA, announced its own official armbands for each nation’s captain to wear in games. The new armbands are in partnership with three United Nations agencies, and will feature a different social campaign as the tournament progresses.
Nine countries in total had made clear their plans to wear the OneLove armbands in a unified message to promote inclusion and diversity. The wearing of the armband was felt particularly significant in Qatar due to the state’s stance on homosexuality - which is illegal in the country and can even be punishable by death.
