Harry Kane to wear anti-discrimination armband in FA’s Qatar World Cup plan

England’s captain Harry Kane will wear an anti-discrimination armband at the World Cup as part of the Football Association’s plans to highlight the human rights situation in Qatar.

The FA says it is also trying to ensure that the families of migrant workers who have lost their lives or been injured in construction projects will get compensation. And it insists that it continues to seek assurances given by the local organising committee that all fans, including those from the LGBTQ+ community, will be welcome, safe and secure in Qatar.

Kane and the captains of the seven other World Cup countries – Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Wales – will wear the OneLove armband in Qatar, where same-sex relationships and the promotion of same-sex relationships are criminalised. He will wear the armband for the first time in Friday night’s Nations League match in Italy.

“As captains we may all be competing against each other on the pitch, but we stand together against all forms of discrimination,” Kane said. “This is even more relevant at a time when division is common in society. Wearing the armband together on behalf of our teams will send a clear message when the world is watching.”

The issue of human rights in Qatar remains a concern, despite Fifa and the Qatari organisers claiming that significant reforms have taken place since the World Cup was awarded in 2010. This week the Guardian has highlighted how workers employed on World Cup-related projects are earning a basic wage of 1,000 riyals (£225) a month, the equivalent of about £1 an hour.

Meanwhile in the souk outside England’s hotel and along the beachfront promenade, where many fans will congregate, security guards from places including