‘Everyone Is Welcome’: FIFA KOs ‘One Love’ Armbands, OKs ‘No Discrimination’

By Barry Janoff

November 21, 2022: Stating that “FIFA is an inclusive organization,” FIFA said today that “following discussions,” its “No Discrimination” campaign has been moved forward from the planned quarter-finals stage to the full tournament “in order that all 32 captains will have the opportunity to wear this armband during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.”

The move follows a decision by FIFA to ban armbands it did not authorize that read “One Love,” which the captains of seven World Cup teams had planned to wear.

FIFA said that any player wearing a “One Love” armband during a match would be given a yellow card.

The captains of the seven national teams who planned to wear “One Love”  armbands included England’s Harry Kane, the Netherlands’ Virgil van Dijk, Wales’ Gareth Bale and the captains of Belgium, Demark, Germany and Switzerland, according to AP Sports.

Those armbands would have violated FIFA rules, but replacing them with FIFA-issued “No Discrimination” armbands would not.

“This is in line with Article 13.8.1 of the FIFA Equipment Regulations, which state: ‘For FIFA Final Competitions, the captain of each Team must wear the captain’s armband provided by FIFA,’” according to the global soccer organization.

In seeking to clarify its position on the  LGBTQI+ community FIFA said today, “Football unites behind call for #NoDiscrimination . . . FIFA is an inclusive organization and supports all legitimate causes, such as ‘One Love.’

“FIFA president Gianni Infantino has reiterated his support of the LGBTQI+ community during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022."
        
“I have been speaking about this subject with the country’s highest leadership,” Infantino said today via the organization regarding Qatar officials.

“They have confirmed, and I can confirm that everyone is welcome. If anyone says the opposite, well it’s not the opinion of the country and it’s certainly not the opinion of FIFA.”

The “No Discrimination” armbands are being promoted by FIFA concurrent to an umbrella “Football Unites the World” multi-platform global campaign in which the organization said it would join with a ”range of international partners and organizations to promote and highlight causes such as anti-discrimination, sustainability, and education during the tournament in Qatar.”

The situation in Qatar played out barely one day after five people were killed and 25 others injured in a shooting in Club Q, which describes itself as being a destination and haven for the LGBTQ+ community in Colorado Springs, Col.

"FIFA has been very clear that it will impose sporting sanctions if our captains wear the armbands on the field of play,” representatives from the seven national teams said in a joint statement. “As national federations, we can't put our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions including bookings, so we have asked the captains not to attempt to wear the armbands in FIFA World Cup games.

"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 the situation where they might be booked or even forced to leave the field of play.

"We are very frustrated by the FIFA decision which we believe is unprecedented — we wrote to FIFA in September informing them of our wish to wear the 'OneLove' armband to actively support inclusion in football, and had no response. Our players and coaches are disappointed — they are strong supporters of inclusion and will show support in other ways."

In saying no to the “One Love” armbands and saying yes to the “No Discrimination” ones, FIFA said that World Cup Qatar 2022 regulations, “as approved by everyone in the game, exist to preserve the integrity of the field of play for all participants and are equally applicable to all competing teams.

“FIFA is an inclusive organization that wants to put football to the benefit of society by supporting good and legitimate causes, but it has to be done within the framework of the competition regulations which are known to everyone.”

"I can confirm that everyone is welcome. If anyone says the opposite, well it’s not the opinion of the country and it’s certainly not the opinion of FIFA.”

FIFA said the “Football Unites the World” is being presented in cooperation with three United Nations organizations: UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), the World Food Program and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Each organization will run separate campaigns during each round of the World Cup “as part of FIFA's commitment to use football's influence to have a positive social impact.”

FIFA said these campaigns “have taken into account feedback received from the Member Associations who, like FIFA, are committed to using the power of football to effect positive change around the world.”

Former and current stars who have contributed to “Football Unites the World” include Hassan Al-Haydos, Alisson Becker, Karim Benzema, Lucy Bronze, Didier Drogba, Giulia Gwinn, Kaká, Robert Lewandowski, Carli Lloyd, Édouard Mendy, Lionel Messi, Neymar, Emmanuel Petit and Cristiano Ronaldo.

"Football is, and unites in, hope, it unites in joy, it unites in passion, it unites in love, as well in diversity,”Infantino said via FIFA. "The players, who are living legends, have united themselves for this FIFA campaign, which is such a forceful message."

FIFA said the timing of the campaigns would be:

• Whole tournament: #NoDiscrimination (WHO)

• Group Stage, Round One: #FootballUnitesTheWorld (WHO)

• Group Stage, Round Two: #SaveThePlanet (WHO)

• Group Stage, Round Three: #ProtectChildren #ShareTheMeal (WFP)

• Round of 16: #EducationForAll #FootballForSchools (UNESCO)

• Quarter-finals: #NoDiscrimination (WHO)

• Semi-finals: #BeActive #BringTheMoves (WHO)

• Third-place and Final: Football Is Joy, Passion, Hope, Love and Peace - #FootballUnitesTheWorld (WHO)

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