Germany Players Protest FIFA OneLove Armband Decision In World Cup Pre-Match Picture

German players cover their mouths to protest against OneLove's decision not to allow countries to wear the captain's armband at the World Cup.

• European countries are banned from wearing armbands
• FIFA threatens to punish sports
• The German responded with a 'silent' team photo

What Happened?

Source: gettyimages

On Monday, seven European nations were forced to waive their decision to allow their captains to wear the 'OneLove' armband at the World Cup, including England and Germany. FIFA threatens teams with sporting sanctions, with the "minimum" punishment of a yellow card for those wearing the captain's armband.

In A Bigger Picture:

Source: gettyimages

The German national team took their strongest stance before the match against Japan, covering their mouths in a re-team photo taken to protest the decision. One can also see a referee checking Manuel Neuer's armband to make sure he is wearing a FIFA-issued armband. Nancy Faeser, Germany's Federal Minister for the Interior and Communities, can be seen wearing the captain's armband in the crowd.

What They Said:

Source: gettyimages

Germany released a Twitter thread explaining the gesture, saying that they wanted to show values ​​close to the German national team and that FIFA's refusal to allowing them to do so was denying them a voice.
"It's not about making a political statement - human rights are non-negotiable," they said of the captain's armband. "That should be taken for granted, but it still isn’t the case. That’s why this message is so important to us. Denying us the armband is the same as denying us a voice. We stand by our position."

What Next For Germany?

Germany are currently facing Japan in their World Cup opener and next take on Spain on November 27.