German Players Cover Their Mouths in Protest at World Cup

On Wednesday at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, players from Germany covered their mouths in a team photo as protest. According to CBS News, the players were protesting against FIFA for “following the governing body’s clampdown on the “One Love” armband.”

In a statement made after the game by Germany coach Hansi Flick, he said that players covered their mouths with their right hands as a “sign from the team, from us, that FIFA is muzzling us.” CBS reported that “FIFA effectively nixed seven European teams’ plans to wear armbands that were seen as a rebuke to host nation Qatar and its human rights record.” Players planned to wear armbands with symbols representing “inclusions and diversity,” but could not due to possible consequences they would face from FIFA. Germany captain Manuel Neuer said to reporters that they “may have our bands taken away from us, but we’ll never let our voices be taken from us. We stand for human rights. That’s what we wanted to show. We may have been silenced by FIFA regarding the captain’s armbands, but we always stand for our values.” The team thought of the gesture of covering their mouth as a “signal” to show their support, and FIFA has announced that the team will not be facing any “disciplinary action.”