ENGLAND'S World Cup squad left for Qatar this morning, with captain Harry Kane aiming to return home with the trophy this Christmas.
Gareth Southgate's 26 players flew at 10am on Virgin Atlantic's Gay Pride jet, named 'Rain Bow', and were due to arrive in Doha at 8pm local time, before travelling south to their Al Wakrah training base.
The choice of plane, which features a picture of 'Oscar', a cartoon figure holding a Union Jack flag and wearing rainbow-coloured trainers, is a show of defiance towards the host nation, where same-sex relationships are outlawed.
The squad met at St George's Park, England's Midlands training base, yesterday morning and were presented with their shirts by FA President Prince William.
This story is from the November 15, 2022 edition of Evening Standard.
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This story is from the November 15, 2022 edition of Evening Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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