Denmark protest Qatar human rights record with faded World Cup strip
By James Herring on Sunday, October 2, 2022
The Danish football team will wear faded World Cup kits in Qatar as shirt sponsor Hummel ‘don’t want to be visible at tournament that’s cost lives.’
The Danish sportswear brand has created “toned down” monochrome shirts as a protest against host nation Qatar and its human rights record.
A black shirt option honours migrant workers who died during construction work for the finals tournament.
“The colour of mourning,” kit manufacturer Hummel said in a post on Instagram “While we support the Danish national team all the way, this shouldn’t be confused with support for a tournament that has cost thousands of people their lives.”
Fifa’s strict rules prohibit political statements on team apparel, but the Denmark shirt designs comply, with no words or symbols that are an explicit statement.
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Since 2010, hundreds of thousands of migrant workers have reportedly faced human rights abuses to build infrastructure necessary to host the tournament.
Hummel said: “We don’t wish to be visible during a tournament that has cost thousands of people their lives. We support the Danish national team all the way, but that isn’t the same as supporting Qatar as a host nation. We believe that sport should bring people together. And when it doesn’t, we want to make a statement.#HistoryIsWhatWeDoNow.”
