Gareth Southgate has confirmed that England will take the knee before the start of their World Cup opener against Iran on Monday. England had opted not to do so in the recent Nations League, but Southgate feels it is important his players make the inclusivity gesture at the Qatar tournament.
In an interview, Southgate said: “We have discussed taking the knee,” Southgate said. “We feel we should. It’s what we stand for as a team and have done for a long period of time. Of course, we understand in the Premier League that clubs have decided to only do that for certain games, big occasions, we feel this is the biggest. We think it is a strong statement to go around the world for young people in particular to see that inclusivity is very important.”
England plays Iran tomorrow after Qatar defeat to Ecuador.