Denmark unveil World Cup protest kit.

Denmark will wear team jerseys at the World Cup that reference the human rights record of the host nation Qatar. They have unveiled three options – an all red, an all-white, and an all-black kit – the latter the universal colour of mourning.

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Since the Desert Kingdom was awarded the right to stage the World Cup in 2010, it is estimated that more than 6,500 migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal – have been killed constructing the seven stadia and the surrounding infrastructure that will be used for the tournament.

The most common cause of death has been acute heart or respiratory failure, with workers forced to work during the intense Middle East summer heat.

Many more have been injured, whilst workers have been housed in squalid accommodation, forced to pay substantial recruitment fees and, in some cases, have had their passports confiscated.

The Qatari government has been strongly criticised by human rights organisations for its treatment of overseas workers, although they have rejected the claims about the death and injury rate, and maintain they are committed to their health and safety.

However, ever since the Danish team qualified for the World Cup finals they have been unequivocal in their stance, and have already signalled that they intend to limit their media duties during the tournament.

Another potential flashpoint is gay rights, with homosexuality banned in Qatar. A group of football federations, including Denmark, have agreed that their captains will wear armbands, with a rainbow heart, as part of an anti-discrimination campaign.

FIFA rules explicitly prohibit political statements or slogans on team jerseys, but the Denmark strip effectively gets round this by sending a less overt, although undisguised message.

And the team has been backed totally by their football federation, with Danish officials prominent amongst a group of European footballing bodies which have visited Qatar in recent months to ensure that there has been progress regarding promised labor laws reforms.

However, there was slight embarrassment last weekend when an adviser to Amnesty International was prevented from taking scarf drawing attention to Qatar’s treatment of foreign workers into the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen where Denmark was hosting France in a nation’s league match.

Annette Stubjaer Rimmer had been outside the stadium selling yellow scarves with the slogan “#ForMigrantWorkers”. She had also been part of a small group talking to fans attending the game about FIFA and Qatar, and their joint responsibilities towards the foreign labour force.

However, when went to take her seat for the game, she was told that she could not bring the scarf in with her, with security guards deeming it too political.

Denmark have been drawn in Group D at the World Cup finals alongside the defending champions France, Australia and Tunisia, with their first match against the North Africans taking place on 22nd November at the Education City Stadium, in Al Rayyan.

Currently ranked 10th in the world according to the latest FIFA rankings, they qualified top of a group that also included Scotland and Austria.