A renowned American journalist was detained for half an hour by security guards for wearing a rainbow T-shirt while covering the USA-Senegal World Cup match in Doha.
World Cup hosts Qatar and FIFA had made assurances that shows of support for the LGBT+ community would be accepted at the tournament – despite homosexuality being illegal in the nation.
But Grant Wahl, a CBS analyst and former senior reporter at Sports Illustrated, claimed he was denied entry to the USA’s World Cup opener due to his shirt – a football surrounded by a rainbow.
He tweeted that he was told: “You have to change your shirt. It’s not allowed.”
Armband chaos: England boss hits back at shock FIFA ban
MORE NEWS
Too soon for ‘It’s coming home?’ Poms smack rival for SIX as young Lions roar
‘Real bravery’: Iran players refuse to sing own anthem as protest leaves fans in tears
Touching scenes: England star makes good on promise to young fan with cerebral palsy
Three Lions, Six Goals: But England still ‘have to be better’
“A moment after tweeting that, one guard forcibly ripped my phone from my hands,” he wrote on his Substack.
He claimed that New York Times reporter Andrew Das was also detained after walking past the incident. Wahl wrote that one guard refused to return his phone, while another guard yelled at him throughout the near half-hour detention.
Finally, he reported, a senior security member apologised and let him go – still wearing the shirt.
Iran players stage an incredible protest | 00:58
But, Wahl wrote: “One of the security guards told me they were just trying to protect me from fans inside who could harm me for wearing the shirt.”
Meanwhile, reports from Wales claim that supporters at the match had rainbow-coloured bucket hats confiscated by security, while rainbow stickers were also ripped off fans’ phones.
One former Welsh international, Laura McAllister, claimed she had video evidence of her bucket hat being confiscated.
Armband chaos: England boss hits back at shock FIFA ban
After captains were banned from wearing ‘OneLove’ armbands in solidarity with the LGBT+ community, BBC pundit and former England women’s international Alex Scott wore one of the armbands on live TV in the stadium.
“I don’t think it’s fair on the players to do this on the morning of the game, they have done incredible work, they knew the rules, it could be one of the biggest games they play, all the players should be thinking about is how to win the game,” she said.
“It would have made a strong statement imagine if Harry came out wearing the armband.”
England, Wales, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Switzerland and Denmark had all planned to wear the armband in their games in Qatar before FIFA warned captains would receive yellow cards for breaching uniform regulations.
MORE NEWS
Gakpo saves sloppy Dutch – and boosts chances of massive PL move
Watch out world: One photo shows just how strong England can be
‘Love a beer’: Pic shows strange $110m reality as England fans have ‘different fun’