• Loading stock data...
Saturday, July 19, 2025

World Cup Captains Won’t Wear ‘OneLove’ Armbands After FIFA Sanction

  • After FIFA threatened to give any player who wears “OneLove” armbands a yellow card, the plan was canceled.
  • FIFA has come down hard on teams attempting to wear any messages that the organization deems “too political.”
2022 Qatar World Cup opening ceremony inside stadium
Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports

FIFA continues to censor World Cup players attempting to wear messages of inclusion.

Several team captains planned to wear armbands with “OneLove” written against a rainbow backdrop. The armbands were supposed to support LGBTQ+ rights — which are nonexistent in host country Qatar.

But after FIFA reportedly threatened to give any player who wears the armbands a yellow card, the plan was canceled.

In a statement, the football associations said: “We were prepared to pay fines that would normally apply to breaches of kit regulations. … However, we cannot put our players in the situation where they might be booked or even forced to leave the field of play.”

Instead, FIFA has made armbands that say “No Discrimination” available for players to wear.

FIFA has come down hard on teams attempting to wear any messages that the organization deems “too political.”

For example, FIFA told the Danish national team they could not wear practice jerseys that said “Human Rights For All.” The team will, however, wear monochrome kits in protest of Qatar’s human rights violations.

The host country has come under fire for mistreating migrant workers and employing discriminatory laws. But FIFA appears determined to keep protests of these atrocities off the pitch.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

exclusive

Clint Dempsey on New Job, USA’s ‘Once in a Lifetime’ World Cup

Dempsey said the World Cup is an enormous opportunity for the U.S.
Aliyah Boston

Aliyah Boston Is Latest WNBA Player to Invest in NWSL Team

Boston joins a select group that includes Sabrina Ionescu.

Featured Today

Ryan Field Construction
exclusive

First Look Inside Northwestern’s $862 Million New Ryan Field

Five big things FOS learned on our exclusive stadium tour.
Jul 21, 2024; Ayrshire, SCT; Xander Schauffele celebrates with Claret Jug after winning the Open Championship golf tournament at Royal Troon.
July 17, 2025

The Boozy History and Traditions of The Open’s Claret Jug

The Open awards the world’s most famous wine decanter.
2025 PDC World Darts Championship Final - Luke Littler vs Michael Van Gerwen
July 16, 2025

A Teen Darts Prodigy Is Becoming Bigger Than the Game Itself

Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler is cashing in on his devastatingly accurate shot.
May 31, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Sydney McLaughin-Levrone (USA) reacts before the women's 100m hurdles during the Grand Slam Track Philadelphia at Franklin Field
exclusive
July 13, 2025

Track’s New Money Is Running Into Old Problems

The sport’s big-money era has hit some speed bumps in 2025.
Jun 13, 2018; Moscow, Russia; A general view of a beer stand inside of Luschniki Stadium one day prior to the start of the FIFA World Cup 2018.

Saudi Arabia Says No Alcohol at 2034 World Cup

Saudi Arabia won’t allow alcohol anywhere during the 2034 World Cup.
August 30, 2024

Premier League Transfer Spending Has Already Topped $2 Billion As Deadline Looms

Saudi Pro League teams haven’t yet matched their English counterparts.
January 13, 2025

Gavin Newsom Reveals Status of 2028 Olympics As Los Angeles Wildfires Roar

Gavin Newsom says there’s a “Marshall Plan” to rebuild Los Angeles.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
Paralympics Tiktok
August 25, 2024

The Wildly Successful Paralympics TikTok Account Isn’t What You Think

A cheeky TikTok account is opening the world of Paralympic sports.
August 11, 2024

Passing of the Torch: Los Angeles Set for Olympic Firsts in 2028

The city last hosted the Summer Olympics in 1984.
August 1, 2024

Saudi Arabia Submits Bold World Cup Bid That Includes a Cliffside Arena

The Saudis are proposing a new stadium in a futuristic city called Neom.
John John Florence (USA) surfs in men’s round two competition during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Tsurigasaki Surfing Beach.
July 29, 2024

Olympic Surfers Won’t Get Their Full Paris Moment

‘We’re kind of separate off on our own little thing over here.’