US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Tuesday criticized FIFA’s decision to ban gay support badges and threaten players at the World Cup with yellow cards if they wear them.
Blinken said, in a press conference in the presence of his Qatari counterpart, Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, in Doha, that it is “a matter of concern when we see any restrictions on freedom of expression.”
“In my estimation, no one on the soccer field should be forced to choose between supporting these (homosexual) orientations or playing for their team,” Blinken said at the Doha Diplomatic Club.
Blinken arrived in Qatar, on Monday, to participate in the Qatar-American strategic dialogue meetings, and he also watched the United States’ match with Wales in the World Cup activities, yesterday evening.
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While publicly criticizing FIFA, Blinken took a more measured tone with Qatar.
Qatar, the first country in the Middle East to host the soccer World Cup, came under fire ahead of the tournament over allegations of its mistreatment of migrant workers.
In this regard, Blinken explained, “We know that without workers, including many migrant workers, the World Cup would not have been possible. Qatar has made meaningful strides in recent years in labor laws to advance workers’ rights.”
And he added that the United States “will continue” to work with Qatar on promoting labor and human rights more broadly after the World Cup is over.