FIFA opts out of rainbow armband for Women’s World Cup

The anti-discrimination “OneLove” captain’s armband banned on the males’s World Cup in Qatar shall be worn in an amended model on the Women’s World Cup subsequent month, though FIFA opted out solely of the rainbow that is named a logo for LGBTQIA+ delight.

FIFA unveiled eight armbands Friday that captains of the 32 groups can select to put on in Australia and New Zealand in the course of the event that runs July 20-Aug. 20.

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The OneLove armband, with its crimson/black/inexperienced/pink/yellow/blue colour scheme, is just like however not the identical because the rainbow that is named a logo of LGBTQIA+ delight. The OneLove armband was worn by captains in the course of the ladies’s European Championships in 2022.

This “Unite for Inclusion” choice chosen is heart-shaped and multicolored however not fairly the rainbow the Germany group wished to make use of on the event, the place a quantity of homosexual gamers shall be amongst greater than 700 chosen on group rosters.

FIFA mentioned this multicolored choice was influenced by the Pan-African flag and pansexual flag.

The armbands have been developed over months of talks with nationwide federations as FIFA aimed to keep away from repeating the chaotic standoff with European gamers and officers final yr that spilled into the primary two days of video games in Qatar.

FIFA mentioned Friday the inclusion choice was labored on with the United Nations human rights workplace in Geneva.

The eight armband designs chosen correspond to the eight rounds of matches on the event. Each will promote consciousness of a trigger below the theme of “Football Unites the World.”

The captains shall be given three choices for which armband they put on.

They can both put on the Football Unites the World armband all through, an armband corresponding to 1 of the eight causes, or they’ll put on the armband allotted for every spherical.

The eight themes chosen by FIFA and the 32 nations are:

Unite for Inclusion — in partnership with UN Human Rights
Unite for Indigenous Peoples — in partnership with UN Human Rights
Unite for Gender Equality — in partnership with UN Women
Unite for Peace — in partnership with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency
Unite for Education for All — in partnership with the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Unite for Zero Hunger — in partnership with the UN World Food Programme
Unite for Ending Violence Against Women — in partnership with UN Women
Football is Joy, Peace, Love, Hope & Passion — in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO)

These themes may even be promoted on particular matchdays with the messages being broadcast on promoting hoardings and flags contained in the stadiums.

“[Football] can shine the spotlight on very important causes in our society,” Infantino mentioned in an announcement.

“After some very open talks with stakeholders, including member associations and players, we have decided to highlight a series of social causes — from inclusion to gender equality, from peace to ending hunger, from education to tackling domestic violence — during all 64 matches at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.”

Information from The Associated Press was used on this report.