Fifa’s clampdown on rainbow armbands conflicts with its own guidance on human rights

Fifa’s feeble acquiescence to Qatar’s discriminatory stance on LGBTQ+ rights in the Gulf state is in direct violation of their own stated principles on human rights, writes Sophie King-Hill

England captain Harry Kane wearing the One Love armband, which he was due to wear in the tournament in defiance of Fifa directives up to a point on the eve of the tournament when the governing body of world football threatened any player wearing one in a World Cup match would receive a yellow card. Picture: Nick Potts/PA Wire

The 2022 men’s World Cup host nation, Qatar, is known for its human rights abuses relating to women, migrant workers and those from the LGBTQ+ community. Same-sex relationships in Qatar are illegal and punishable by up to seven years in prison. As Qatar is hosting one of the most popular global sporting events, these human rights abuses are now under scrutiny on the world stage.

The latest issue arose as the England and Wales captains were set to defy Fifa by wearing ‘OneLove’ armbands during the tournament. The rainbow armbands are a gesture against discrimination and in support of LGBTQ+ rights. However, on the eve of the tournament, Fifa announced its own social campaign armbands and its president, Gianni Infantino, stated “we have clear regulations on armbands”. It was said that players found to be wearing the rainbow armbands could face on-the-pitch sanctions, including yellow cards. That threat seemed to have worked, as the teams subsequently decided not to wear the armband, explaining in a joint statement from several football associations: “We were prepared to pay fines that would normally apply to breaches of kit regulations and had a strong commitment to wearing the armband. However, we cannot put our players in a situation where they might be booked, or even forced to leave the field of play.”