The German national team players covered their mouths with their hands, implying that they had been gagged by FIFA during the World Cup of protest and rancour.
Their message was reinforced by German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, who sat next to FIFA President Gianni Infantino while wearing a OneLove armband, which promotes tolerance, diversity, and LGBTQ+ rights.
It was a calculated act of defiance against football’s governing body, which had warned seven nations, including England and Wales, that wearing OneLove armbands during matches would result in sporting sanctions.
During the team’s 2-1 defeat to Japan, six players, including captain Manuel Neuer and Ilkay Gundogan, wore Adidas boots with rainbow stitching, while the entire German squad wore tops with rainbow colours on their sleeves in warm-up.
The Germans expressed their outrage in a strong statement, telling FIFA:
“We wanted to use our captain’s armband to take a stand for values that we hold in the Germany national team: diversity and mutual respect. Together with other nations, we wanted our voice to be heard. It wasn’t about making a political statement – human rights are non-negotiable.”
“That should be taken for granted, but it still isn’t the case. That’s why this message is so important to us. Denying us the armband is the same as denying us a voice. We stand by our position.”
Same-sex relationships are illegal in Qatar, and while organisers and FIFA have repeatedly stated that “everyone is welcome” during the World Cup (link), it is unclear whether laws prohibiting public kissing have been suspended.
Similar ambiguity exists regarding whether rainbow-colored flags and clothing are permitted, given that Qataris have removed such attire from some fans. The authorities have yet to respond to the Football Association of Wales’ protest after security guards removed fans’ rainbow-coloured bucket hats before the game against the United States.
Later, football’s governing body confirmed that it would not censure the German FA or its players for their protest. FIFA also confirmed that it had initiated disciplinary proceedings against Ecuador for homophobic chanting by their fans during the World Cup opener against Qatar.
