The England players reportedly feared an even worse punishment than just a yellow card if they had worn the OneLove armband in their World Cup opener against Iran.
This World Cup has proven controversial thus far, with the host nation Qatar arguably never seeming a particularly suitable host due to questions over the treatment of migrant workers in preparation for this tournament, as well as its laws. about homosexuality.
England and other countries had planned a protest to show support for the LGBTQI+ community, but were threatened with a yellow card for players wearing the armband.
According to The Independent, some players actually feared something worse: that they could even receive red cards if they defied FIFA’s orders.
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The report adds that England held a team meeting to discuss what to do next, with the players apparently anxious not to rush into a decision.
Germany’s players staged a protest of their own before their loss to Japan, covering their mouths in their team photo and posting a statement on the national team’s Twitter account.
It remains to be seen if we will see anything similar from Gareth Southgate’s team before tomorrow’s game against the USA.
