Know why OneLove armbands are getting football players suspended from FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

The FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar seems to be riddled with controversies, starting out with rigorous rules and regulations for the audience as well as the player. The most recent controversy seems to be around the OneLove armband, being sported by football players.

The administration of the Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022 has banned the OneLove armbands for both players and audience members, saying that those who wear these bands won’t be allowed inside the stadium and will be fined heftily.

What is the FIFA OneLove arm band controversy?

The OneLove armband was launched by the Royal Dutch Football Association in 2020 as a symbol to oppose discrimination against any grounds, including the sexual orientation of players and staff members. Since then, many players have worn armbands on the field to show their solidarity with the LGBTQ community.

The OneLove armband made an appearance in the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, which kicked off on November 20, as a form of protest against the rigorous rules against the LGBTQ community in the country, which has criminalized homosexuality.

To support the LGBTQ community, the captains of the teams from the Netherlands, England, Switzerland, Belgium, Wales, Denmark, and Germany decided to wear the OneLove armband on the field but were barred from doing so by FIFA.

It wasn’t about making a political statement – human rights are non-negotiable. That should be taken for granted, but it still isn’t the case. That’s why this message is so important to us.

Denying us the armband is the same as denying us a voice. We stand by our position. pic.twitter.com/tiQKuE4XV7
— Germany (@DFB_Team_EN) November 23, 2022

According to the FIFA rules, no player is allowed to wear any symbols or bands which may have religious, political, or personal connotations. FIFA had further issued a statement that any player wearing the armband on the field will be issued a yellow card.

While the FIFA committee in Qatar has reiteration that people from all across the world, no matter their background, religion, or sexual orientation, are welcome in the country during the World Cup, statements have also been issued that the homosexuality laws in Qatar will also apply to the tourists.

Despite the ban on the OneLove armband, the German football team portrayed a strong display on the FIFA field by posing with their hands on their mouths, delivering a message about the censorship and freedom of expression in the sport.

READ | Kerala woman drives Mahindra Thar to Qatar to watch Lionel Messi at FIFA World Cup 2022