The United States’ men’s national team have made a huge statement at the World Cup in Qatar by redesigning their crest to incorporate the rainbow flag, in a bid to show solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community.
The tournament, which starts on Sunday and sees the US play their opener against Wales on Monday, has been hugely controversial in its build-up, given Qatar’s human rights record and attitude to homosexuality.
As recently as this month, a Qatar World Cup ambassador told a German TV broadcaster that homosexuality was ‘damage to the mind’, and it remains illegal to be gay in the conservative Muslim country.
The USMNT appear to have made an immediate stand on their arrival in Doha, though, by changing the usual red stripes on their crest to a rainbow around their team base.
Pictures from the Al Gharrafa SC Stadium in Ar-Rayyan, where the US team trained on Monday, showed a huge US crest on the wall, alongside the slogan ‘One Nation’.
It is understood the crest on the team’s kits on the field won’t be changed, but the new colors will be shown off at their practice facilities.
Neil Buethe, the USMNT’s Chief Communications Officer, told DailyMail.com: ‘Our rainbow badge has an important and consistent role in the identity of U.S. Soccer.
‘As part of our approach for any match or event, we include rainbow branding to support and embrace the LGBTQ community, as well as to promote a spirit of inclusiveness and welcoming to all fans across the globe.
‘As a result, locations that we will manage and operate at the FIFA World Cup, such as the team hotel, media areas and parties, will feature both traditional and rainbow U.S. Soccer branding.’
Over the past few weeks and months, many players have raised concerns over the rights of fans travelling to the event, especially LGBT+ individuals and women, whom rights groups say Qatari laws discriminate against.
Qatar is the first Middle Eastern country to host the World Cup but the small nation has come under intense pressure in recent years for its treatment of foreign workers and restrictive social laws.
The country’s human rights record has led to calls for teams and officials to boycott the November 20 to December 18 tournament.
The US national team arrived at their Doha base at the end of last week, with some players joining at the weekend following their final club matches.
Among the later arrivals was Christian Pulisic, who featured for Chelsea away at Newcastle on Saturday evening, before heading out to the tournament.
Gregg Berhalter’s side face Wales in their opening Group B match, before huge clashes against England and then Iran as they bid to qualify for the knockout stages.
At the United States’ MNT World Cup training ground in Doha were the players, staff and federation have shown solidarity with LGBT community by redesigning the crest in rainbow colours. More @TeleFootball pic.twitter.com/HeTU6o3ZEY
— Sam Wallace (@SamWallaceTel) November 14, 2022
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