England’s Harry Kane and football captains from nine other countries will wear armbands this season as part of an anti-discrimination campaign.

The nation has joined forces with the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Wales to be part of the OneLove initiative.

As part of the movement, Three Lions players will also take time to meet migrant workers after arriving in Qatar for the 2022 World Cup.

Originally initiated by the Dutch, it aims to “use the power of football to promote inclusion and send a message against discrimination”.

Captains from each of the country’s national teams will wear a distinctive armband featuring a heart made up of different colours to mark the campaign.

The feature will make its first appearance on Friday during England’s UEFA Nations League match against Italy, with Kane wearing it.

All England players will also wear black armbands throughout the game to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September.

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The eight nations that have qualified for the 2022 World Cup will then adopt the OneLove armband for fixtures in Qatar, where same-sex relationships and the promotion of same-sex relationships, are criminalised.

“As captains we may all be competing against each other on the pitch, but we stand together against forms of discrimination,” Kane, 29, said.

“This is even more relevant at a time when division is common in society.

“Wearing the armband together on behalf of our teams will send a clear message when the world is watching,” the Tottenham striker added.

‘We are coming together as a group’

Once England’s team lands in Qatar for the World Cup, having already qualified, they will invite migrant workers to their training base to meet the players.

It is hoped the visit will show the Football Association’s (FA) support for new worker legislation, which has been implemented by Qatar ahead of the World Cup.

The country has introduced a new minimum wage law to increase wages for 280,000 workers, and it has signed legislation on working during high temperatures.

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The labour reforms also include new regulations on overtime pay, termination and conditions of employment for domestic workers, and the setting up of 14 new Qatar Visa Centres in several origin countries.

Human rights organisations including Amnesty International have called on FIFA to set aside $440m (£388m) to support a compensation fund and help establish a migrant workers centre.

The amount is equivalent to the prize money on offer to teams at the World Cup.

“We continue to push for the principle of compensation for the families of migrant workers who have lost their lives or have been injured in construction projects,” said FA chief executive Mark Bullingham.

“We are coming together as a group to wear the OneLove armband until the end of the season as a visible show of support for inclusion in football – something we strongly believe in and have consistently supported,” he added.

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When does the World Cup start?

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar kicks off on Sunday 20 November at the Al Bayt Stadium when the hosts take on Ecuador in Group A.

The tournament was originally set to begin a day later with Senegal’s game against the Netherlands at Al Thumama Stadium but Qatar’s match was moved forward in August to allow them to open their home tournament.

England will now feature on the second day with their Group B match against Iran scheduled to take place just eight days after the Premier League shuts down with a 1pm UK time kick-off.

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