World Cup: USMNT’s Gregg Berhalter on LGBTQ+ rainbow crest

US head coach Gregg Berhalter has spoken of the importance of changing the nation’s coat of arms to include the rainbow flag at the Qatar World Cup.

The United States made a statement at the showpiece tournament on Monday by redesigning its crest with rainbow colors to show its solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community.

The U.S. Soccer Federation, which normally uses an emblem with blue lettering and red stripes, changed the stripes to seven different colors on Al Gharrafa’s training facility – the team’s base for the competition.

Qatar has been criticized for its attitude towards LGBTQ fans ahead of the World Cup, which starts on Sunday.

“When we’re on the global stage and we’re in a location like Qatar, it’s important to raise awareness of these issues already,” Berhalter said Monday.

USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter has spoken about the country’s new crest at the World Cup

‘And that’s what Be the Change is about, not only in the United States we want to draw attention to social issues, but also abroad. And we recognize that Qatar has made progress, tremendous progress has been made, but there is still some work to be done.

‘And it’s just about Be the Change actually represents everyone’s individual opportunity to implement or initiate change. So I think it’s appropriate that we have it here too.’

The national federation said the rainbow crest will not be worn on the field, but will be used in areas of Qatar it controls, such as fan parties.

Photos from the team’s base, where the U.S. team trained on Monday, showed a huge U.S. emblem on the wall, next to the “One Nation” slogan.

Before the switch, the stripes in the flag were all red, but now they are rainbow colors

“It’s a sign of our values ​​and what we represent as a men’s national team and US Soccer, and we are a group that believes in inclusiveness and we will continue to carry that message going forward,” US goalkeeper Sean Johnson added Monday.

Neil Buethe, the USMNT’s Chief Communications Officer, told DailyMail.com: “Our rainbow badge plays an important and consistent role in the identity of US Soccer.

“As part of our approach to any competition or event, we incorporate rainbow branding to support and embrace the LGBTQ community, as well as foster a spirit of inclusivity and hospitality for all fans around the world.

At the US training base, a huge US coat of arms appeared on the wall next to the slogan ‘One Nation’

“As a result, venues that we will manage and operate during the FIFA World Cup, such as the team hotel, media rooms and parties, will feature both traditional and rainbow US Soccer branding.”

Last spring, the US wore rainbow-colored number jerseys for Pride Month and wore orange armbands to raise awareness against gun violence.

In the run-up to the upcoming World Cup, many players have raised concerns about the rights of fans traveling to the event, particularly LGBT+ individuals and women, whom human rights groups say are discriminated against by Qatari laws.

Qatar is the first Middle Eastern country to host the World Cup, but the small country has come under intense pressure in recent years due to its treatment of foreign workers and restrictive social laws.

The country’s human rights record has led to calls for teams and officials to boycott the tournament from November 20 to December 18.

The USMNT are currently preparing for their first Group B game against Wales next Monday, with players arriving at their headquarters in Doha after the end of the club action.