World Cup digest: Minister wants holders to make voices heard on human rights

The French sports minister urged the national football team on Thursday to make themselves heard amid a row over FIFA's threat of sanctions for the OneLove armband.

On Wednesday, all Germany players placed their hands over their mouths in front of dozens of photographers on the pitch ahead of kick-off, after world soccer body FIFA had threatened seven European teams with sanctions if they wore the armband symbolising diversity and tolerance.

France are not among the seven teams, with French football federation (FFF) president Noel Le Graet saying it would "follow the guidelines of FIFA".

"I think that FIFA's decision to ban the OneLove armband will be talked about for a while. Do I wish there had been a space for full freedom? The answer is clearly yes," Amelie Oudea Castera told public TV channel Public Senat.

"Are there still spaces of freedom where our French team can continue to express their commitment to human rights? The answer is yes. The Germans are showing it."

While players and coach Didier Deschamps said they were just following orders, Oudea Castera hopes things can change.

"There are still weeks ahead of us in which they can be free to express themselves, to use these spaces of freedom to carry their messages," she said.

"They have these values too. They belong to a country that holds these values high and it is important that they represent them."

Follow every game from the 2022 FIFA World Cup via live blogs on RTÉ.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app, or watch live on RTÉ Television and RTÉ Player

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