FIFA World Cup 2022 | European teams ditch ‘One Love’ armband after FIFA pressure

Barring teams from making political statements in Qatar, FIFA ruled that captains “must wear the captain’s armband provided by FIFA”

The captains of England, Wales, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, and Denmark will not wear "OneLove" armbands after FIFA made it clear they would be booked, the associations said in a joint statement on Monday.

"You don't want the captain to start the match with a yellow card. That is why it is with a heavy heart that we as a UEFA working group and as a team had to decide to abandon our plan," the Dutch football association KNVB said in a statement.

The KNVB said FIFA had made it clear only hours before the kick-off of their opening match against Senegal on Monday that captain Virgil van Dijk would get a yellow card if he walked on the pitch wearing the armband as planned.

The KNVB said it was "deeply disappointed" in FIFA's stance and would not let it pass unnoticed.

"This is completely against the spirit of our sport, which unites millions of people," the KNVB said in a statement.

"Together with other countries involved we will critically look at our relation with FIFA."

The armband had been designed to convey a message "against any form of discrimination", the Dutch FA said.