(KERO) — The United States men's national soccer team faces England in the World Cup on Friday, November 25th. That match starts at 11 a.m. local time.
The teams might be competing on the field, but they're united in another kind of battle. Amid the cheers of World Cup fans, another controversy is simmering. It's over the host country Qatar and other nations' treatment of LGBTQ+ people.
Signs of protest could show up during the game between the US and England. The rival is one of several teams whose captains had planned to wear "One Love" armbands. They're a symbol of protest since, in Qatar, sex between men is illegal.
FIFA has threatened to punish players for wearing the bands, so fans and teams have found other ways to demonstrate.
FIFA says it sees the One Love armbands as political messaging and says that's why it's prohibiting them, but advocates say the bands are about human rights, not politics.
