‘Taken out of my hands’ – Kane admits ‘disappointment’ at FIFA decision to ban ‘OneLove’ captain’s armband

Kane wanted to wear OneLove armbandDecision taken out of his hands’Disappointed’ by FA stance

WHAT HAPPENED? In the buildup to the World Cup, England captain Kane had worn a special, OneLove armband to celebrate equality and combat discrimination, with the Football Association (FA) coming out in support of Kane wearing it in Qatar, no matter the repercussions. However, they went back on that decision the morning of England’s tournament opener against Iran; a decision taken out of the striker’s hands.

WHAT HE SAID: “We’re disappointed,” Kane said after England beat Iran 6-2. “I said yesterday we wanted to wear it. That decision was taken out of my hands today. I turned up to the stadium with the armband that I wore and I was told I had to wear that [the official FIFA armband]. It’s out of our control as players.”

He added: “I’m sure the FA and FIFA will continue those discussions but most importantly today we focused on the game and got a great result.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: England, Wales and several other nations planned to wear the OneLove armband instead of the FIFA assigned captain’s armband, with the rainbow love heart conveying a message of inclusivity in the wake of bigotry and discrimination. But with FIFA threatening heavy sanctions and even potentially booking players who wore the armband, the FA and other nations stood down on the idea.

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WHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND? While the debate over armbands continues, Kane and his Three Lions team-mates now have one eye on the United States having gotten off to a rampant start in Group B.