The Patriot Post® · Missing the Point for World Cup
The United States Men’s National Soccer Team (USMNT) has made it to the World Cup. This is a big deal since this is only the 12th time in World Cup history that the U.S. men’s team has been good enough to make it.
The USMNT has never won the World Cup. The closest it’s gotten in recent decades was eighth place in 2002, and that is the best it’s done since its first appearance in 1930, when it finished third.
Unfortunately, the USMNT has redesigned the USA crest on its jerseys with rainbow colors, choosing to mar this year’s honor of making it to the World Cup by using its platform to virtue signal to Qatar and elevate the LGBTQ+ lobby abroad.
Qatar won the honor of hosting the World Cup through questionable means, and it is widely agreed that this desert country is a poor host based on its tough climate alone.
Like many Middle Eastern countries, Qatar is predominantly Muslim and has made it illegal to be homosexual. Breaking the homosexuality law there carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison. According to Human Dignity Trust, the instances of this law being enforced are rare. But when it does happen, the consequences are severe and usually entail the homosexual person being beaten before being arrested. As awful as that is, it pales in comparison to other human right abuses perpetrated by Qatar.
According to The Wall Street Journal, many Western countries have been debating how to address the human rights violations that are a constant in Qatar.
For example, migrant workers who were brought in to construct the World Cup stadiums have been working in atrocious conditions. Many have even died. Denmark has chosen to honor the lives that were lost constructing the stadiums by designing and wearing all black kits. But the dead migrants got as much consideration from the USMNT as the Left gives to those illegal immigrants dying in great numbers crossing the U.S. southern border, or the Uyghur genocide in China.
The lives of people far away from America’s privileged enclaves are a low priority to USMNT leadership, which places much more significance on sexual gratification and the woke fad of gender ideology. That is likely why the USMNT chose to virtue signal to the LBGTQ+ lobby. That, and there is a significant homosexual fanbase for U.S. soccer. USMNT Chief Communications Officer Neil Buethe went so far as to claim that the rainbow flag is a symbol of their identity.
Ergo, upon arrival in Doha, and in an obvious snub to Qatar and its stance on homosexuality, the USMNT on its jerseys changed the usual USA patch with red stripes to a patch with rainbow colors.
USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter explained, “When we are on the world stage and when we are in a venue like Qatar, it is important to bring awareness to these issues and that is what ‘Be the Change’ is about.”
“Be the Change” is the slogan for the George Floyd/BLM movement. Interesting how that riotous movement is indelibly tied to the LGBTQ+ activists.
It’s fair to say these types of petty statements will have no impact whatsoever on Qatar. It’s also fair to say they are especially hollow since the USMNT won’t be wearing the rainbow jerseys during matches, only in the privacy of practice facilities.
Just like the Olympics, the World Cup presents an opportunity to represent your country and its values. But in recent years, these sporting events — which are meant to be diplomatic and build bridges between countries — have been tainted by leftist virtue signaling. And just like how the Women’s National Soccer Team kneeled for BLM at the Olympics, plenty of soccer fans in the U.S. who were looking forward to a U.S. run for the World Cup are put off by this empty gesture.
It’s a woke stand that misses the goal and poorly represents the American people.