The U.S. men’s national team will send an unsubtle message to Qatar with its choice of decor during the World Cup.
U.S. Soccer’s rainbow-themed badge, most prominently used during Pride Month in June, will be visible at all team facilities during the tournament in Qatar.
Homosexuality is criminalized in Qatar, and World Cup ambassador Khalid Salman told German broadcaster ZDF last week that he considers being gay to be “damage in the mind.”
Amid that backdrop, the USMNT will feature the rainbow logo at all team-operated facilities, though it won’t be used during games at the World Cup.
“When we are on the world stage and when we are in a venue like Qatar, it is important to bring awareness to these issues and that is what ‘Be the Change’ is about,” USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter told a news conference on Monday.
“It is not just Stateside that we want to bring attention to social issues, it is also abroad. We recognize that Qatar has made strides and there has been a ton of progress but there’s some work still to do.”
Berhalter’s team has made a point to be more involved in social issues, notably sending a message to U.S. Congress over the summer in favor of stricter gun control.
The USMNT coach said in September that for the past year and a half, his players had been educated about the host of controversies surrounding Qatar hosting the World Cup.
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