World Cup 2022 news and updates

Wales fans report being banned from wearing rainbow hats Former Wales international Laura McAllister says she was stopped from taking her rainbow-coloured bucket hat into the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium because it is a "banned symbol". She is one of a number of Wales fans attending the game against the USA to have reported being prevented from taking the hat into the stadium. The rainbow is a renowned symbol in support of LGBTQ+ rights and both Wales and England have been determined to support it in Qatar – but were forced by FIFA to abandon plans to wear the rainbow OneLove captain's armband on Monday. McAllister has told ITV News: "We were aware, while we were queuing up, that there had been some rumours about people wearing the rainbow bucket hat that had had theirs taken off them. "Then when we got through security, some of the guards said we had to take the hats off, and when I asked them why they said 'because it is a banned symbol' and we 'weren’t allowed to wear it in the stadium.' "I pointed out that FIFA had made lots of comments about supporting LGBT rights in this tournament. "Coming from a nation where we are passionate about ensuring there is equality for all people, I wasn't going to take my hat off. "They were insistent that unless I took it off I wasn’t allowed into the stadium, so we were forced to go back out and leave it in a lost property area. "I think I had a little moral victory in that I managed to sneak it in and, who knows, I might even wear it in there and see where we go from there. "I think we’ve had plenty of warning that this wasn't going to be a tournament where human rights, LGBT rights and women's rights were going to be respected. "I'm an ambassador for Wales at the World Cup and it's really important we stick to our values and don't bend. There's no point having principles if you're prepared to give them up the minute someone challenges you." Meanwhile, American sports journalist Grant Wahl was initially denied entry to the stadium while wearing a “rainbow soccer-ball” t-shirt. He has reported that, after a long negotiation with security staff who originally told him it is “political” and “not allowed”, a security commander and a FIFA representative eventually apologised and let him into the ground.

Nations were prepared to face fines Governing body would have handed out cards Alternative messages promoting inclusivity to be explored WHAT HAPPENED? The Football Associations of seven countries – with Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland also involved – have issued a joint statement in which they have aired their disappointment and frustration at world football’s governing body for threatening to issue yellow cards to any captain wearing accessories that are not officially sanctioned. The teams involved were prepared to “pay fines that would normally apply to breaches of kit regulations”, but begrudgingly accept that they “cannot put our players in the situation where they might be booked or even forced to leave the field of play”. WHAT THEY SAID: The statement reads: “FIFA has been very clear that it will impose sporting sanctions if our captains wear the armbands on the field of play. As national federations, we can't put our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions including bookings, so we have asked the captains not to attempt to wear the armbands in FIFA World Cup games.” THE BIGGER PICTURE: The Associations at the heart of a long-running debate added: “We are very frustrated by the FIFA decision which we believe is unprecedented - we wrote to FIFA in September informing them of our wish to wear the One Love armband to actively support inclusion in football, and had no response.” Article continues below IN THREE PHOTOS: