Denmark to wear ‘human rights messages’ on training shirts at World Cup in Qatar

AFP via Getty Images
Harry Latham-Coyle17 November 2021

Denmark’s players will wear messages in support of human rights on their training kits at next year’s World Cup in Qatar.

The country’s qualification for the tournament was confirmed last month, but the Danish Football Association (DBU) have said they remain committed to work for positive change in Qatar.

Humanitarian organisation Amnesty International this week released a 48-page report claiming migrant workers in the Middle Eastern country continue to be exploited despite labour reforms in 2017, an accusation that Qatar has refuted.

The organisation also urged England, who qualified for the World Cup with victory over San Marino on Monday, to highlight human rights concerns.

The DBU has said that the sponsors of their training kit have agreed for reduced exposure in order to allow the shirts to carry “critical messages and markings”.

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Denmark will also conduct due diligence in choosing their hotel and other facilities to ensure labour rights are respected, and minimise the number of staff or partners travelling to Qatar.

“DBU has long been strongly critical of the World Cup in Qatar, but now we are intensifying our efforts and critical dialogue further, so that we take advantage of the fact that we are qualified to work for more change in the country,” Danish soccer federation managing director Jacob Jensen said.

Qatar was awarded the World Cup in 2010 ahead of the United States, Japan, South Korea and Australia in a bidding process that was later investigated after allegations of corruption.

Evidence was not found by FIFA to warrant stripping Qatar of the hosting rights, and the country has since built new stadia, hotels and transport systems to prepare to host for the first FIFA World Cup held outside of the usual early summer window.

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