February 16 – England captain Leah Williamson wants the Lionesses to be able to wear the OneLove armband at the women’s World Cup in July.
At the men’s tournament in Qatar, England, Wales and five other European nations were forced by FIFA to abandon the idea that was intended as a protest at all forms of discrimination.
FIFA warned they would face sporting sanctions and that their captains could be booked.
But Williamson, who captained England to victory at Euro 2022, said she hopes the women won’t suffer the same threat.
“Obviously, you hope it’s not a last-minute call once we get there but it’s something we want to do all year round and we’ve done previously,” she said.
“The statement that was made at the Euros with every team participating was incredible, every picture we have with a trophy lift there’s a rainbow armband in there. It’s a great stage and a great time to promote the values we believe in so much, so I hope it’s the same.
“We’re never shy in saying what we stand for, we’re a squad that promotes inclusivity and equality, we obviously have a number of people that feel very strongly about it. We’re not just impacting football, we’re trying to have a positive impact on society too and that’s one of the ways we can do that.”
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