FIFA bans Danish soccer team from wearing human rights shirts at Qatar World Cup

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(CNN) --

The Danish men's soccer team has been banned from wearing training shirts with human rights messages at the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Danish Football Federation (DBU) CEO Jakob Jensen revealed the ban in an interview with Danish publication DR Sporten, published on Thursday.

The DBU planned that the t-shirts would say "Human rights for all".

About this, Jensen told DR Sporten: "Today we received a message from FIFA that the training shirt we had thought players should train in, which says Human Rights for All, has been rejected for technical reasons and we regret.

“We are of the opinion that the Human Rights for All message is universal and is not a political call, but should be something that all people can support,” Jensen continued.

Denmark players pose before the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Denmark and France in Copenhagen on September 25, 2022. Credit: FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images

FIFA complies with the International Football Association Board (IFAB) Laws of the Game and declined to comment on the matter when approached by CNN.

Law 4.4 of the IFAB manual stipulates that “The equipment must not have political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images”.

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Ever since the World Cup was awarded to Qatar more than a decade ago, the event has been plagued by controversy with the host country heavily criticized for the Gulf state's human rights situation and treatment of foreign workers.

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In September, the Danish kit's manufacturer, Hummel, revealed three kits: an all-red, all-white and all-black shirt representing the "color of mourning".

The company says the look represents a protest to express that "we don't want to be visible during a tournament that has cost thousands of people their lives," according to an Instagram post.

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Tournament organizers at the time disputed Hummel's claims, saying they had entered into a "robust and transparent dialogue" with the DBU.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup will take place from November 20 to December 18.

CNN's Antonia Mortensen contributed to this report