
<p>FIFA will not allow Belgium to wear jerseys with the word ‘love’ on them at the <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/category/world-cup-2022/">World Cup</a>. Originally, Belgium’s white away shirt featured the word on the inside collar. Typically, tags go there on shirts. The world’s governing body of the sport defends the decision. It claims commercial reasons are the principal cause for the change.</p>



<p>Previously released this summer, the jerseys in question link to a popular music festival. The team and kit maker Adidas collaborated with <a href="https:\/\/www.tomorrowland.com/en/festival/welcome" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tomorrowland</a> to design the jerseys. When previously unveiled, the music festival explained the design in an official statement.</p>



<p>“With the kit, the Belgian Red Devils and partners involved intend to make a positive, fun statement of LOVE in times of turmoil,” the <a href="https:\/\/tomorrowlandbelgium.press.tomorrowland.com/belgian-red-devils-make-statement-of-love-with-fifa-world-cup-2022-away-kit" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">statement</a> read. “On the authentic jersey, the LOVE sign-off is featured as neck detail in the inner neck of the jersey.”</p>



<h2>‘Love’ removed from Belgium World Cup shirt</h2>



<p>Belgium FA CEO Peter Bossaert made the announcement to abandon the shirts on Monday. “The word LOVE must disappear,” <a href="https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/fifa-one-love-belgium-kit-28547944" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a> Bossaert. “It’s sad, but FIFA leaves us no choice. The rest of the equipment remains unchanged.”</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">FIFA have demanded that Belgium remove the word “love” from the collar of their away World Cup shirt, per <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/espn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ESPN</a>.<br><br>The kit is a collaboration with the famous music festival Tomorrowland — but FIFA is not open to negotiating with the Belgian team on removing the word. <a href="https:\/\/t.co/LwfE6KrkON">pic.twitter.com/LwfE6KrkON</a></p>— Front Office Sports (@FOS) <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/FOS/status/1595066457469091840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2022</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https:\/\/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<p>The Red Devils did not expected to wear the white away jerseys in the group stage of the tournament. They would have, however, donned the shirts if advancing to the knockout phase. Currently, Belgium ranks second in the FIFA World Rankings.</p>



<p>It remains to be seen if Belgium will have to receive brand new shirts by Adidas prior to the potential knockout stage. It is also a possibility to sew over the word ‘love’ on the inner collar to cover up the word FIFA despises so much.</p>



<h5>FIFA cracks down on love and inclusion</h5>



<p>The move to ban ‘love’ from Belgium’s shirts comes at a contentious time. FIFA banned teams from wearing <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/news/england-and-wales-to-defy-fifa-and-wear-onelove-armbands-20221119-WST-409028.html">OneLove armbands</a> as well. Captains from seven competing countries had to <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/news/germany-claims-extreme-blackmail-forced-armbands-change-20221122-WST-409423.html">abandon plans to wear the armband</a> after FIFA threatened sanctions against the teams. </p>



<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO / Kolvenbach</em></p>



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FIFA has told Belgium that they must remove the word 'love' from the inside of their white away jerseys during the World Cup.

Belgium forced to remove 'love' from kits during World Cup


<p>FIFA has imposed sanctions against any team that wears the OneLove captain armbands throughout the <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/category/world-cup-2022/">World Cup</a> in Qatar, which Germany calls blackmail. Originally, Belgium, Denmark, <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/news/england-and-wales-to-defy-fifa-and-wear-onelove-armbands-20221119-WST-409028.html">England, Wales</a>, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland were all set to wear the armband. However, the world’s governing body of the sport changed their minds at the last minute to block to move.</p>



<p>Germany FA media director Steffen Simon told Deutschlandfunk radio that England faced sanctions if Harry Kane wore the armband. England was the first of the septet to play in the tournament. Although Kane had initially planned to wear the OneLove armband against the USA, the captain was ultimately forced to make the change. </p>



<p>“The tournament director went to the English team and talked about multiple rule violations and threatened with massive sporting sanctions without specifying what these would be,”&nbsp;<a href="https:\/\/www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/extreme-blackmail-forced-federations-drop-armbands-german-fa-2022-11-22/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">claimed</a> Simon.</p>



<p>“We were in an extreme situation, in an extreme blackmail, and we thought we had to take that decision without wanting to do so.”</p>



<p>Simon also addressed backlash the teams are facing for not defying FIFA. “I can understand the disappointment,” stated Simon. “We had the choice between the plague and cholera.”&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Germany sees major supermarket pull sponsorship because team abandoned OneLove armbands at World Cup <a href="https:\/\/t.co/KKF8sx9wmr">https:\/\/t.co/KKF8sx9wmr</a></p>— Sky News (@SkyNews) <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1595084637184966658?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2022</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https:\/\/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<h2>Germany receive blackmail into change in armbands</h2>



<p>These sanctions apparently began with a fine. Yet, it would go so far as booking the captains that wore the armband. The <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/nations/netherlands-national-team-tv-schedule/">Dutch</a> were the first team to publicly address the issue. Captain Virgil van Dijk did not wear the OneLove armband during their <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/news/senegal-stumbles-against-netherlands-in-world-cup-group-a-20221121-WST-409308.html">2-0 victory against Senegal</a> on Monday.</p>



<p>“We stand for the ‘OneLove’ message and will continue to spread it, but our No. 1 priority at the World Cup is to win the games,” read the Dutch <a href="https:\/\/www.espn.com/soccer/fifa-world-cup/story/4808018/world-cup-teams-abandon-onelove-armband-amid-fifa-row" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">statement</a>. “You don’t want the captain to start the match with a yellow card. That is why it is with a heavy heart that we as a UEFA working group, KNVB and as a team had to decide to abandon our plan.”</p>



<p>The OneLove campaign promotes diversity and inclusion. Homosexuality is currently illegal in the host nation of Qatar.</p>



<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO / Ulmer/Teamfoto</em></p>


DFB media director Steffen Simon claims that seven World Cup teams, including Germany, had blackmail to not wear OneLove armbands.

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Belgium forced to remove 'love' from kits during World Cup

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Germany claims 'extreme blackmail' forced armbands change