Sam Kerr says wearing rainbow armband not worth risk at World Cup

Matildas superstar Sam Kerr has revealed where she stands on wearing a rainbow captain’s armband at the World Cup.

Matildas superstar Sam Kerr says she will not wear a rainbow captain’s armband due to the risk of suspension from mandatory yellow cards. Picture: Matt King / Getty Images

Australian captain Sam Kerr says she will not wear a rainbow captain’s armband at the World Cup to avoid “putting everything at risk”.

FIFA on Sunday unveiled a range of eight different armbands carrying social messages that are permitted to be worn at the tournament, but the rainbow OneLove armband is not among them after the design was prohibited at last year’s men’s World Cup in socially conservative Qatar.

Kerr said she had not been expecting to be able to wear the rainbow armband without being booked following the decision in Qatar, although she would have liked to in a show of solidarity and support to the LGBTQ community.

Matildas superstar Sam Kerr said being potentially booked would hurt Australia’s chances too much to wear the rainbow captain’s armband. Picture: Ryan Pierse / Getty Images

The Matildas superstar said the risk of picking up yellow cards from donning the band was too great and would threaten to derail Australia’s campaign at their home tournament.

“Obviously, we would love to wear it – like most of the teams in the whole world, everyone has voiced that they would love to wear it,” Kerr said.

“But I think you saw with the men’s World Cup, Harry Kane for example, first game if he had worn it, yellow card, if he’d got a yellow card again, he would’ve been sent off.

“So for me it’s not worth the risk; putting the team at risk; putting everything at risk; and there will be multiple opportunities where I get to use my voice for things.”

Kerr said the Matildas’ success at the tournament hinged upon complying with FIFA’s rules.

“We kind of expected it, the men’s World Cup, the women’s World Cup … being honest I didn’t expect them to change (the rule),” she said.

“We would have liked to have worn it, but I’m not going to put this team at risk, I’m not putting the tournament at risk … we have to abide by the rules that we’re given really.”

Originally published as Sam Kerr says wearing rainbow armband not worth risk at World Cup