The anti-discrimination “OneLove” captain’s armband banned at the men’s World Cup in Qatar will be worn in an amended version at the Women’s World Cup next month, although FIFA opted out entirely of the rainbow that is known as a symbol for LGBTQIA+ pride.
FIFA unveiled eight armbands Friday that captains of the 32 teams can choose to wear in Australia and New Zealand during the tournament that runs July 20-Aug. 20.
– Women’s World Cup bracket and fixtures schedule
The OneLove armband, with its red/black/green/pink/yellow/blue color scheme, is similar to but not the same as the rainbow that is known as a symbol of LGBTQIA+ pride. The OneLove armband was worn by captains during the women’s European Championships in 2022.
This “Unite for Inclusion” option chosen is heart-shaped and multicolored but not quite the rainbow the Germany team wanted to use at the tournament, where a number of gay players will be among more than 700 selected on team rosters.
FIFA said this multicolored option was influenced by the Pan-African flag and pansexual flag.
The armbands were developed over months of talks with national federations as FIFA aimed to avoid repeating the chaotic standoff with European players and officials last year that spilled into the first two days of…
