World Cup 2022: Australia’s first openly gay footballer Josh Cavallo slams FIFA rainbow armband ban

The ‘One Love’ armband was banished, rainbow shirts are under fire and now one of the top World Cup nations has to change its kit to remove an offensive word.

England's forward Harry Kane wearing a rainbow armband.

FIFA has demanded Belgium remove the word “LOVE” from the collar of their away kit at the World Cup.

The reason for the edict is not yet clear, but it follows a crackdown that forced seven nations – including Belgium – to backtrack on plans to wear “One Love” armbands during their matches.

LGBTQ+ rights has become a flashpoint in Qatar with the early days of the tournament also marked by reports of journalists and fans being turned away from venues for wearing rainbow-coloured clothing.

ESPN reports Belgium has not responded to the FIFA demand although the world’s second-ranked nation is set to wear its red home kit for its three matches in the group stage.

The white away jersey has the word “LOVE” stitched inside the collar. The design is a collaboration with Tomorrowland, an electronic dance festival held in Flanders. The Tomorrowland logo is featured inside the “O” in “LOVE”. Thousands of the shirts have been bought by fans since the design was unveiled in June.

Belgium will play its first World Cup match against Canada on Thursday.

Belgium's away kit with the word 'love' stitched in the collar.

Belgium’s star midfielder Yannick Carrasco. Picture: Yasser Al-Zayyat / AFP

TV expert’s brave ‘One Love’ stand after player U-turn

Soccer superstars abandoned plans to show their support for LGBTQ+ rights on the pitch at the World Cup, but one TV presenter has bravely taken a stand.

The football federations of England, Wales, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Germany on Monday released a statement to confirm they were regrettably going to discourage their captains from wearing the rainbow “One Love” armband as a result of FIFA’s “unprecedented” edict that players wearing the armband could be handed a yellow or red card.

FIFA was savaged by proudly gay Australian footballer Josh Cavallo for not standing up to host nation Qatar, while English legend Roy Keane said Three Lions captain Harry Kane should have taken the punishment in their first game against Iran.

The armband did still make an appearance, proudly worn by BBC TV pundit Alex Scott.

Scott, who has dated both men and women in the past, remained defiant in showing solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community.

Same-sex relationships are illegal in Qatar for both men and women, with a maximum punishment of seven years in prison.

“I don’t think it’s fair on the players to do this on the morning of the game, they have done incredible work, they knew the rules, it could be one of the biggest games they play, all the players should be thinking about is how to win the game,” Scott said.

“It would have made a strong statement, imagine if Harry came out wearing the armband.”

I think when Alex Scott said she felt staying home was an easy option (and got lots of silly shit for it) this is what she meant.

Takes courage to wear the armband there, especially not as a player, and she's showing the men what an smidgen of solidarity & conviction looks like.

— Joe Louis Monte (@Jolomoco) November 21, 2022

Alex Scott you legend pic.twitter.com/Tvzei6sh5s

— Ali Tweedale (@alitweedale) November 21, 2022

Scott has received praise for her stance, with one fan saying: “You legend Alex Scott.”

Another added: “Top s***housery from Alex Scott.”

And a third said: “Leave it to a Lioness to take a stand. Respect to Alex Scott.”

Alex Scott is wearing a OneLove armband while reporting on England's World Cup game in Qatar. pic.twitter.com/bHDWqGRFzY

— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) November 21, 2022

England may not be wearing the #OneLove armband, but @AlexScott is right now on BBC. This is more than just LGBTQ+ rights, this is Human Rights 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏳️‍🌈💙 pic.twitter.com/lSYZUaijqm

— Pride in Football 🏳️‍🌈⚽️ (@prideinfootball) November 21, 2022

Cavallo smashed FIFA over its controversial decision to block seven European nations from letting their captains wear “One Love” rainbow armbands during the World Cup.

The Adelaide United player, who became the first openly gay male footballer in the world playing top-flight football when he came out last year, said football’s governing body had “lost my respect”.

“FIFA. I love my identity. Seeing you have banned all teams to wear the One Love Armband to actively support LGBTQ+ at the world cup,” Cavallo posted in Instagram.

“You have lost my respect!

“All the work my fellow allies and the LGBTQ+ community are doing to make football inclusive, you have shown that football isn’t a place for everyone.”

Kane had previously pledged to wear the armband along with other European captains at the tournament, as a symbol of inclusivity – in particular for the LBGTQ community in a country where same-sex relationships are strictly outlawed.

But the threat of losing their captain to a ban in the group stage prompted a stunning backtrack from the seven federations who revealed the news in a joint statement just 3 hours before England’s World Cup-opening match against Iran.

“FIFA has been very clear that it will impose sporting sanctions if our captains wear the armbands on the field,” the statement read.

Adelaide United soccer players Isabel Hodgson and Josh Cavallo

“As national federations we can’t put our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions including bookings, so we have asked the captains not to attempt to wear the armbands in FIFA World Cup games.

“We are prepared to pay fines that would normally apply to breaches of kit regulations, and had a strong commitment to wearing the armband.

“However we cannot put our players in the situation where they might be booked or even forced to leave the field.

It’s not the first time we’ve heard
‘Stick to football.’The attacks
on the LGBTQ+ community from
World Cup leaders affects so
many who live in silence because
of your draconian ways. To be a
great leader in sport, one must
never give up trying to bring ALL
people together ❤️ pic.twitter.com/rKLhfAl7KI

— Josh Cavallo (@JoshuaCavallo) November 20, 2022

“We are very frustrated by the FIFA decision which we believe is unprecedented.”

Speaking before the news, France captain Hugo Lloris – who had already declared he would not be wearing the armband this tournament – reiterated his stance, and put the pressure back on FIFA to make the changes.

“FIFA is organising this competition. It is therefore up to FIFA to put in a regulatory framework. For us as players, we’re here to play football,”

Lloris said in his pre-match press conference ahead of Wednesday morning’s showdown with Australia.

“I prefer to stay in my box. I am a player and a competitor of this competition.

“But yes there are different causes that are very important that should be supported, that are commendable, as I mentioned it’s up to FIFA with regards to the organisation of the competition.”

Taking a different position, Tunisia coach Jalel Kadri said it was important to respect the culture of the Muslim-majority country in which the tournament was taking place.

“We’re in an Arab country with Islamic traditions,” Kadri said.

“We have to respect the culture and convictions of everybody. We’re in Qatar, they respect other cultures, religions and religious beliefs.”