The England players will take a knee before their opening World Cup match against Iran on Monday, according to manager Gareth Southgate.

The anti-racism gesture was initially made by Premier League players in 2020, and England followed suit during future international matches.

The Three Lions will do so throughout the Qatar World Cup, beginning with their Group B match against Iran on Monday,  November 21, according to Southgate.

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“We’ve discussed taking the knee and we feel we should, It is what we stand for as a team, and we have done for a long period of time. We believe it is a strong statement that will go around the world, for young people, in particular, to see inclusivity is very important,” the 52-year-old former England midfielder made these statements at a press conference on November 20.

In defiance of Fifa and the organization’s own social awareness initiative, England captain Harry Kane will also sport a OneLove armband throughout the World Cup.

Kane, Gareth Bale of Wales, and the leaders of Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland are among the seven captains who will don the OneLove armband. The goal of the campaign is to draw attention to the LGBTQ+ community’s discrimination in Qatar and worries about the wellbeing of migrant workers.

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Hugo Lloris, the captain of France, has decided not to compete in order to “show respect to Qatar,” despite France being another team that had been anticipated to take part.

In collaboration with United Nations organisations, Fifa began their own armband campaign on Saturday, November 19, with several slogans prepared for each round. FootballUnitesTheWorld, “#SaveThePlanet,” and “#NoDiscrimination” are among the hashtags that will be displayed during the opening round of group competitions.

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Although Fifa has ordered all competing nations to wear their armbands, it is understood that the Football Associations of Wales and England are continuing with the OneLove campaign.