Currently, teams and captains risk sanctions if they don’t wear the FIFA-required armbands; Harry Kane, the men’s captain of England, was compelled to abandon his plans to wear a “OneLove” armband during the World Cup in Qatar; The 2023 Women’s World Cup begins in July in Australia and New Zealand.
With regards to rules prohibiting “OneLove” or rainbow armbands at the Women’s World Cup this summer, FIFA claims that it is in discussions with teams and players.
Currently, teams and captains risk punishment if they compete in one of FIFA’s tournaments without the required wristband.
The German FA brought up the matter formally during a World Cup planning workshop because they don’t want players from Australia and New Zealand to face sanctions during the competition from July to August.
The matter was also discussed by the game’s lawmakers IFAB during post-Qatar 2022 debriefs.
A FIFA spokesperson has told Sky Sports “at a team workshop, FIFA was asked about equipment and competition regulations in relation to the 2023 FIFA Women`s World Cup.
FIFA wishes to reiterate that no decision has been taken in relation to armbands.
FIFA remains committed to ongoing dialogue with players and member associations.”
The FA and England team bosses were left angry in December when the armband issue left players potentially facing punishment if they went against tournament rules.
England captain Leah Williamson has been open about her desire to show support to the LGBTQ+ community during the World Cup this summer and wore a rainbow armband when she lifted the Euros trophy last summer.
“Obviously, you hope it’s not a last-minute call once we get there but it’s something we want to do all year round and we’ve done previously,” she told reporters in February.
“The statement that was made at the Euros with every team participating was incredible, every picture we have with a trophy lift there’s a rainbow armband in there.
It’s a great stage and a great time to promote the values we believe in so much, so I hope it’s the same.
“We’re never shy in saying what we stand for, we’re a squad that promotes inclusivity and equality, we obviously have a number of people that feel very strongly about it,” Williamson said.
“It’s not even a question for us, you’ve seen another men’s player step out and be as brave as they can be and they’ve changed their whole life. They don’t know what’s coming.
So, for us to stand in solidarity with that is important to us but it’s something we’ve always done, it’s something we’ll continue to do.
We’re not just impacting football, we’re trying to have a positive impact on society too and that’s one of the ways we can do that.”