This is an archive article published on July 20, 2025
Why rainbow armbands are dividing opinion at Women’s Euro 2025
France captain Griedge Mbock Bathy has worn the regular band rather than the rainbow armband. So has Spain's Irene Paredes. Italy's Cristiana Girelli also sported the regular armband.
Norway's Ada Hegerberg, sporting the rainbow armband, reacts to fans on the pitch after losing the Women's Euro 2025 quarterfinals soccer match between Norway and Italy at Stade de Geneve in Geneva. (AP Photo)
For a symbol meant to promote tolerance and inclusion, rainbow coloured captain’s armbands at the Women’s European Championship are actually proving to be more divisive, with some captains wearing them, and others preferring not to. The rainbow armband are a symbol of solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community.
UEFA, the governing body of European football, has given all captains at the Women’s Euros the option of choosing which armband they want to wear during games: there are standard yellow and blue armbands with the word “respect” emblazoned on them, or the player can opt for bright colors of the rainbow flag.
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“UEFA is committed to making football a safe and welcoming environment for everybody, independent of who we love, our gender identification or gender expression,” the governing body said before the women’s Euro 2022, where it also gave team captains the option of wearing rainbow bands.
Which teams are not wearing the rainbow armbands?
France captain Griedge Mbock Bathy has worn the regular band. So has Spain’s Irene Paredes. Italy’s Cristiana Girelli also sported the regular armband when she captained the team for the quarterfinal clash against Norway. But in a previous game against Spain, with Girelli unavailable, Elena Linari captained the team and opted to wear a rainbow armband.
Mbock Bathy explained her decision to not wear the rainbow band on her arm.
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“Highlighting a single issue also potentially excludes the others,” she was quoted as saying by The Associated Press. “We cannot champion a single cause through our diverse group because there are so many causes to defend.”
Mbock said the France team is “so diverse that we cannot highlight just one cause. I think that the band with the word ‘respect’ really represents what we want to convey as a message and that is the most important thing.”
Who is wearing the rainbow armband?
Germany captain Janina Minge, Switzerland captain Lia Wälti, Norway captain Ada Hegerberg, Wales captain Angharad James, Iceland’s Glódís Viggósdóttir, England’s Leah Williamson are among those who have opted to sport the rainbow armband.
England defender Lucy Bronze has also opted to wear a rainbow wristband during her team’s quarterfinal win over Sweden, whose captain, Kosovare Asllani, also wore a rainbow armband.
Norway's Ada Hegerberg, sporting the rainbow armband, reacts to fans on the pitch after losing the Women's Euro 2025 quarterfinals soccer match between Norway and Italy at Stade de Geneve in Geneva. (AP Photo) 
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