He could have just worn it for the one game. I mean people put their own life under threat in these countries for being homosexual or asking for freedoms but low and behold someone might get a yellow card at the start of a football match. Lets give it a miss shall we, maybe another day.
He would probably get a yellow card and be forced to change the armband. Thatās what happens when players break equipment rules - theyāre not just allowed to continue playing. So he can of course do that, but nothing would have changed from what we saw, except that heād have started with that yellow card.
Of course, he could chose to refuse, but the most likely result (following the ground rules laid by FIFA) would be a second yellow and a sending off, all before the game has started.
FIFA has also acted against the Belgian team. Their jersey has the word āLoveā on the inside of the neckline, and they have been forced to tape over that. Let that sink in for a moment. A word on the inside of the shirt.
They also have a multi-colored warm-up shirt that they have been forced not to use.
FIFA is basically fully off the range here. Honestly, Iām not sure what they think theyāre doing here. If I were Qatar, Iād ask them to tone down the conflict-level, because all theyāre doing right now is ensure that this is what the opening week is going to be remembered for.
Iām not so sure FIFA is driving the bus on this stuff, which as the Guardian podcast noted, is odd - Qatar seems to be dictating (FIFA normally controls its showpiece with an iron fist, just ask Brazil).
Qatar canāt give anyone a yellow card. That takes FIFA.
Two yellow cards= suspension for next match in group stage and knockout stages.
Youād lose your captain for third game.
The only solution would be for players to protest on the pitch, and draw a game 0-0 in protest.
Pretty sure the government has tools and leverage to influence FIFA to make that decision. Itās not as though FIFA had a lead time of official notice these teams were doing this; oh wait - they did.
FIFA would have told the teams to toss off weeks ago if they were solely making call, imo.
FIFA could tell Qatar to toss off right now. Of course itās Qatarās bidding theyāre doing, but theyāre doing Qatarās bidding. Itās a choice, FIFAās choice.
Well, we know FIFA is corrupt, spineless, and reprehensible. Just like we know US major sports team owners are the same, mostly. As well as many major college programs. We still watch the games though and make them money. We donāt have much room to point fingers I suspect.
Not all of us do. I understand why people are watching, I get it, but I am not. I have watched every WC since 1984, but this one just feels wrong. It feels gross. I am following the scores, but I wonāt be watching any games.
USA had shown why theyāre the youngest and inexperienced squad. They went all out in the first 45 mins in Qatarās climate and forgot there was another 45 more to play. Some of them were already left limping towards the end.
If I was the manager Iād play for a 0-0 draw type of game against England. Just an unwatchable nightmare to avoid a meltdown. Play safe and limit counter opportunities. Go stomp Iran and let England eliminate Wales.
Iām not really into soccer, but I gave up on the NFL when they started ruining players careers for quietly protesting social injustice.
If I did watch footy, this World Cup would definitely be the same kind of turning point for me. Whatās coming out of Qatar is beyond disgusting.
FIFA keeps yapping about how sport is supposedly apolitical, and it is such a transparent lie. Obviously ignoring human rights is fine, while rainbows are not. Those are inherently political decisions.
The same goes for killing thousands of people from the third world to hold a soccer tournament in a rich country that doesnāt value their lives at all. When FIFA chooses to ignore that, that is also a political decision.
Denmark has a chance to go somewhere this year, but I canāt even begin to care about a game when that stuff is going on around it. What a fucking disgrace.
ā¦ Might change if we reach the quarters though!
This is an interesting topic.
Iām obviously all for inclusion, and honestly donāt see the issue with wearing an armband.
I also think Qatar is well out of line with these impositions.
If you want to host a global festival you accept global norms imho.
But, devils advocate, who decides what is acceptable symbology and what isnāt?
What if a team decided to display the swastika?
Remember that within recent memory homosexuals were fair game in popular Western culture.
Our collective acceptance of homosexuality is a fairly recent thing, and expecting othrr cultures to catch up is pwrhaps wishful.
Same. Iāve followed every World Cup since Mexico 1986, but I already noticed a severe lack of interest going into Russia 2018. I donāt think Iāll watch a single minute of Quatar 2022, and itās not a big effort/loss tbh.
What if we waited until that happened to ask the question?
Itās an obvious question, but the most immediate answer is that this is exactly why you donāt start legislating for a problem that doesnāt exist.
Right now people are being turned away at stadiums in Qatar for wearing rainbow colored socks, which barring some kind of meaningful protest sends a very clear message about where FIFA stands on that issue.
That wouldnāt happen if FIFA had said āYou do you, wear whatever you likeā.
I donāt like what the Qatari government stands for, but I wouldnāt have a problem with someone displaying their support for them at a match.
You canāt compare nazis and homosexuals. One is a group of ordinary people who are attracted to the same sex, and the other is a misanthropic hate group that persecuted, tortured and murdered millions of innocent people for no good reason. Including homosexuals.
Thatās why those two groups should be treated differently. They are very different :)
If a culture is not welcoming and gracious enough to accept people from other cultures, who have other ways of life and other points of view, then there is no way they should be hosting an international sporting event.
They shouldnāt have to be perfect, but they should have to be decent.
What on earth is happening in the Argentina - Saudi Arabia match? 1-2 with half an hour to go?
This has the potential to be the biggest World Cup upset of all time. Pretty funny, unless your Argentinian.
Mm, I have them in the Qt3 pool, and Iām still finding it quite funny.
The expected goals statistic at 1-2 was 1.03 - 0.14 in Argentinaās favour. I guess sometimes these things happen.