US journalist says he was detained at World Cup over rainbow shirt
Image: David Ramos/Getty Images
Grant Wahl, a former Sports Illustrated journalist who now has his own website, said World Cup security denied him entry to the US' opener against Wales at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan and asked him to take his shirt off.
He said his phone was taken away when he tweeted about the incident.
“I'm OK, but that was an unnecessary ordeal,” Wahl wrote on Twitter.
He said a security commander later approached him, apologised and allowed him into the venue. He also later received an apology from a representative of FIFA, soccer's international governing body, he said.
Reuters has contacted FIFA for comment.
Seven European World Cup countries earlier on Monday ditched plans for their respective captains to wear OneLove armbands after FIFA threatened to issue yellow cards to any player wearing the multicoloured armband, which was introduced to support diversity and inclusion.
Reuters