Captains vow to protest homophobia at World Cup

Harry Kane and other captains will wear rainbow-themed armbands at next month’s World Cup in Qatar to support the anti-discrimination message “One Love”, which promotes diversity and social inclusion.

The England striker said he would “send a clear message when the world is watching” as a deeply conservative Gulf country hosts international football’s most prestigious tournament.

The campaign to highlight social issues in Qatar has already proved divisive. FIFA has not yet clarified whether the federations involved will be punished for breaking its rules that strictly prohibit political acts on the pitch.

The dispute symbolizes the broader challenge facing players, teams and sponsors as they seek to address issues such as human rights and conditions for migrant workers that have overshadowed their preparations for the Cup.

In a video released this week to mark a month until the kick-off, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “I want to repeat clearly: everyone is welcome to the tournament, regardless of their origin, culture, religion, gender, orientation sex or nationality”.

But minutes later, World Cup operations director Colin Smith added: “All we ask is that people respect Qatar’s cultural norms.”

Controversy often surrounds major sporting events, and the focus often shifts once competition begins. Western diplomats boycotted this year’s Beijing Winter Olympics over concerns over China’s treatment of the Uighur population in Xinjiang. The previous World Cup was held in Russia four years after Moscow’s annexation of Crimea.

But the level of attention devoted to Qatar is unusual. Paul Michael Brannagan, author of “Qatar and the Fifa World Cup: Politics, Controversy, Change,” said it was “arguably the most controversial sporting mega-event in all times”, adding that it was “much easier to criticize Qatar because it is a much younger country”.

The massive disruption to European football’s calendar caused by the shift of world competition from summer to winter has also caused irritation – and highlighted what many see as the ridiculous decision to host one of the world’s most popular summer sporting events in the tiny desert nation.

The gas-rich monarchy was awarded the 2022 World Cup on the same day that Russia secured the rights to host the 2018 event, allowing for years of additional scrutiny. The process was so marred by allegations of corruption and impropriety that it overthrew many of FIFA’s most powerful executives and provoked a rethink in the choice of World Cup hosts.

Human rights groups have lobbied FIFA and Qatar to compensate the families of migrant workers who died or were injured during the construction of the tournament’s facilities. The move received support from several football federations, French and American lawmakers and a handful of World Cup sponsors – although most have said nothing on the matter.

FIFA said it remained in “ongoing positive dialogue” with labor groups and the Doha authorities on “initiatives that will benefit migrant workers in Qatar long after the World Cup final”.

When asked about a severance fund, Qatar’s organizing committee advised the Financial Times to consult programs created to deal with worker injuries and deaths and non-payment of wages.

Ricardo Fort, a sports business consultant who managed Coca-Cola and Visa’s global sponsorship, said any major sporting event “gives a huge opportunity for society to demand change in something that is not right.” But, he said, it also creates an “unrealistic expectation that sponsors have some degree of influence” over what happens. “This is absolutely not the case.”

Former French player Eric Cantona and former German player Philipp Lahm are among those who have pledged to stay away, but the boycott movement has failed to gain traction. Instead, small steps are being taken to show displeasure.

Several French cities, including Paris and Marseille, chose not to show matches in public places during the tournament. Marseille Mayor Benoît Payan called the Qatar World Cup a “human and environmental disaster”, which is “incompatible with the values ​​we want to see transmitted through sport”.

However, Qatar is already involved with the French capital and its main football team, Paris Saint-Germain, which has belonged to the State of Qatar for more than a decade. The sovereign wealth fund of neighboring Saudi Arabia also took control of England’s Newcastle United last year, while a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family owns English champions Manchester City.

Hummel, which makes the Danish national team’s uniform, created new shirts with a black belt as a sign of mourning. “We wish to make a statement on Qatar’s human rights record and its treatment of migrant workers,” the company said.

However, some saw this as a clever marketing ploy by a smaller brand trying to make an impact. “They have nothing to lose and a lot to gain by protesting,” Fort said.

Many in football also point out that there are limits to what can be achieved in Qatar, especially when the World Cup spectacle is over a month later.

“There’s not much more players in particular can do than talk about these issues,” said England manager Gareth Southgate. “After all, we are asking for change in a country that we respect, that has made a lot of progress, but we also have no control over.”