German players covered their mouths with their hands in a photo before the game against Japan, protesting the ban on LGBT-supporting armbands at the 2022 World Cup, which is being held in Qatar.
All of the players in the German national team's starting lineup covered their mouths with their hands during a team photo. The gesture may be related to the ban on wearing the rainbow armband in matches at the tournament in Qatar.
The World Cup in Qatar began Nov. 20 and runs through Dec. 18, 2022. The German team couldn't make the playoffs of the tournament at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
At the World Cup in Qatar, the German team will play in Group E against Spain, Costa Rica and Japan. The meeting between Germany and the Japanese team takes place on November 23 and began at 13:00 GMT.
Check out our 2022 World Cup predictions! Learn more about Germany's chances of winning this year & stay tuned for more Qatar 2022 updates!