In their debut at the Qatar 2022 World Cup, the Germany team protested with a gesture made in the eleven photo. Neuer and company put their hands over their mouths as a sign of their disagreement against FIFA for preventing captains from wearing armbands in support of the LGTBI+ community.
The 'teutonic' goalkeeper did not obey the warning and wore the armband mentioned, while the rest of the players did the same on the field. But that wasn't all, the German federation also made a strong statement.
"With our captain's armband, we wanted to set an example of the values we live by in the national team: diversity and mutual respect. Be loud along with other nations. It's not about a political message: human rights are not negotiable," reads the German National Team's accounts.
"That should be obvious. But unfortunately it still isn't. That's why this message is so important to us. Prohibiting us from wearing the armband is like prohibiting us from speaking out. Our stance remains," the publication concluded.
FIFA had warned that it would sanction players who displayed the armband proposed by the "One Love" association in protest of the human rights situation in Qatar, particularly concerning the LGTBI+ community.