Fifa has told national federations that security won’t ban fans wearing rainbow flags at World Cup stadiums.
The rainbow flag will “not be prohibited” at stadiums for the upcoming round of games, according to Fifa, which has received guarantees on the matter from Qatar.
As so many players, officials, and fans want to show support for the LGBTQ+ community in response to Qatar’s laws and culture towards homosexuality, the colours have emerged as one of the tournament’s flashpoints of contention.
Items of apparel with rainbow flags have been seized from certain supporters and members of the media; security even ordered that bucket hats be taken off.
Welsh fans have reportedly been ordered to remove their national colours, which are red, yellow, white, and green, merely for wearing them.
Given that they were informed in advance that the World Cup would be open, several federations have brought up this issue with Fifa. As a result, the international governing body has informed federations that it has received guarantees from the World Cup’s Safety and Security Operations Committee that rainbow-colored items won’t be impounded any longer.
To stop what were referred to as “localised incidents,” messages have even been sent to stadium security.
Officials naturally view it as a positive development, but if there are any more such confiscations, it might only serve to exacerbate one of the World Cup’s numerous flashpoints.
Given the way Qatari security has functioned, several within federations are unsure as to whether Fifa can even rely on such assurances.
