Social Issues

DOHA — Germany players placed their hands over their mouths during a team photo ahead of their game against Japan for their World Cup Group E on Wednesday as the row over FIFA's threat of sanctions over the "OneLove" armband continued.

All Germany players took part in the gesture in front of dozens of photographers on the pitch ahead of kickoff, after world soccer body FIFA had threatened seven European teams with sanctions if they wore the armband symbolizing diversity and tolerance.

Tame would be an understatement when discussing the "One Love" campaign. A message that hopes to unite everyone, "One Love" promotes diversity of thought and acceptance, especially with regard to sexual orientation. Regardless, FIFA felt the need to threaten players with “sporting sanctions” if they were to make a statement on the world stage. While many European nations opted to abandon their message of inclusion, Alex Scott remained undeterred.

Ingrained as they are in our social fabric, sports are crucial to bringing people and communities together. And this is especially true when we talk about youth sports. Unfortunately, it's not always a level playing field for those athletes trying to break through when the opportunities are not the same for everybody.

DIRECTV knows about these difficulties and hardships, so in partnership with LeagueSide, they decided to be an agent of change in society by offering a series of sports scholarships nationwide.

QATAR - The U.S. men's World Cup squad are showing their support for the LGBTQ community by way of a rainbow-themed team logo inside their training facility and media workroom.

Same-sex relationships are illegal in Qatar which is hosting the tournament starting on Sunday.

The design features seven rainbow-colored vertical stripes below "USA" in dark blue letters and is part of the "Be the Change" initiative the team adopted in 2020 with the goal of inspiring action on social justice issues.

BERLIN — A Qatar World Cup ambassador has told German television broadcaster ZDF that homosexuality was "damage in the mind", as the Gulf state prepares to host the global tournament in less than two weeks.

In an interview filmed in Doha and to be screened later on Tuesday, former Qatari international Khalid Salman addressed the issue of homosexuality, which is illegal in the conservative Muslim country.

Monza soccer player Pablo Mari has been stabbed along with at least four other people in a shopping mall in the town of Assago outside Milan, news agency ANSA reported on Thursday.

The BBC said a 46-year-old suspect has been detained and the motive for the attack in a supermarket was not clear. Italian police said one person had died, a Bolivian national.

The soccer World Cup being held in Qatar next month will have areas for drunk fans to sober up, its chief executive said in a television interview.

The Nov. 20-Dec. 18 World Cup is the first to be held in a Muslim country with strict controls on alcohol, presenting unique challenges for organizers of an event sponsored by a major beer brand and often associated with beer-drinking fans.