Fifa has told World Cup federations that the rainbow flag will “not be prohibited” in stadiums for the next round of games, and Qatar has now given the governing body assurances on the issue following a series of incidents that culminated in the team captains of seven Uefa federations refusing to wear the OneLove armband.
The colors have been a point of contention in the tournament, as many players, officials, and fans want to show solidarity with the LGBTQ+ population in response to Qatar’s anti-homosexuality legislation and culture.
Some fans and reporters have had rainbow flag-adorned clothes confiscated, with security even ordering bucket hats to be removed.
According to reports, there have been situations where Welsh supporters were merely wearing the country’s colors – red, yellow, white, and green – only to be instructed to take them off.
Several federations have raised this with Fifa, given that they were told beforehand that the World Cup would be open, and the global governing body has now sent a note to federations stating that the tournament’s Safety and Security Operations Committee has assured it that rainbow items will no longer be confiscated.
It has gotten so far that missives have been sent to stadium security to avert what has been termed as “isolated incidents.”
While organizers understandably perceive it as a positive move, further confiscations can exacerbate one of the World Cup’s numerous flashpoints.
Given how Qatari security has functioned, some inside federations question whether Fifa can even rely on such promises.