British Sports Minister Stuart Andrew, openly gay, is determined to wear the "OneLove" rainbow armband in the stands on Tuesday, which FIFA has banned players from wearing in Qatar.
The English and the Welsh are among the seven selections having abandoned the idea of wearing this armband after the threats of sporting sanctions by the supreme body of world football, which considered yellow cards against the captains.
In the stands, it will not be a first at the World Cup, because the German Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser, who has Sports in her portfolio, wore the armband next to the President of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, during the Germany lost 2-1 to Japan last Wednesday.
The Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hadja Lahbib, did the same during the victory of the Red Devils against Canada in Qatar (2-1).
England's LGBT+ fans boycotted Qatar
Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar and several fans had rainbow-colored objects, armbands and the like, confiscated during the first round of the World Cup.
Stuart Andrew (51) told British channel ITV he was "definitely" going to wear the armband on Tuesday and said he was "delighted" that his German colleague had led by example last week.
The British minister also considers it "unfair" that the English and the Welsh, at the last moment, were banned from wearing the armband.
The English fan group "3LionsPride", which represents the LGBT+ community, decided before this World Cup that its members would not go to Qatar.
“These matches should be a celebration for all the fans, but unfortunately many of them feel that this is not the case, regretted the Minister of Sports. This is not a tournament for them.
They felt they couldn't be part of it and that's not acceptable."
