France captain refuses to commit to World Cup rainbow armband

Hugo Lloris, the captain of defending champions France, has hinted that he will not wear a rainbow-colored captain’s armband at this month’s World Cup in Qatar.

Several players, including Lloris’ Tottenham Hotspur teammate Harry Kane, are expected to wear the armband as an anti-discrimination gesture and in support of the global LGBT+ community in a bid to highlight what many see as the Gulf state’s archaic laws on homosexuality.

FIFA rules dictate that players are forbidden from wearing apparel, armbands included, which are not expressly sanctioned by world football’s governing body.

Lloris, 35, says that players at the World Cup must respect the local laws in Qatar, regardless of their individual feelings on the matter.

“Before we start anything, we need the agreement of FIFA, the agreement of the [French Football] Federation,” Lloris said during a press event at France’s training base in Qatar on Monday.

“Of course, I have my personal opinion on the topic. And it’s quite close to the [French Football Federation] president’s.”

Lloris comments comes after the FFF president, Noel Le Graet, said that he hoped Lloris would not adopt the rainbow-colored armband at the World Cup because he did not wish for there to be a perception of France lecturing other nations on anti-discrimination issues ahead of the tournament.

“When we are in France, when we welcome foreigners, we often want them to follow our rules, to respect our culture, and I will do the same when I go to Qatar, quite simply,” Lloris explained.

“I can agree or disagree with their ideas, but I have to show respect.”

Lloris added that he and his teammates were not insensitive to human rights issues within Qatar but that he would prefer this to be displayed in the appropriate manner.

“We can’t remain insensitive to these issues,” he said. “It will be done in a few days, or hours, we will see.”