Denmark's football kit manufacturer to hide logo during Qatar World Cup

The manufacturer behind the football kit for Denmark's national team has announced plans to 'hide' its logo in the upcoming World Cup.

There'll be colours, logos and patterns galore when the global football event kicks off in Qatar on 20 November, with 32 teams ready to take to the pitch in an attempt to prove themselves to be the best of the best.

Denmark is among the national teams travelling to the Middle East, and although they'll be recognisable in their bright red, white or black shirts, neither their team logo or the company behind the kit will stand out.

Images of the new shirts were released by Danish manufacturing company Hummel in a post shared on Instagram, where it explained that it wanted to 'send a dual message' with the national team's jerseys.

The statement continued: "They are not only inspired by Euro 92, paying tribute to Denmark’s greatest football success, but also a protest against Qatar and its human rights record."

Rather than logos that stand out in different colours to the shirts, Hummel has made it so the national team badge, Hummel logo and iconic decorative white chevrons blend in almost entirely with the shirt.

"That’s why we’ve toned down all the details for Denmark’s new World Cup jerseys, including our logo and iconic chevrons," the company explained. "We don’t wish to be visible during a tournament that has cost thousands of people their lives. We support the Danish national team all the way, but that isn’t the same as supporting Qatar as a host nation. We believe that sport should bring people together. And when it doesn’t, we want to make a statement."

Another post revealed a black kit for 'the colour of mourning', Denmark's third shirt which was designed to make a statement about 'Qatar’s human rights record and its treatment of the migrant workers that have built the country’s World Cup stadiums'.

The World Cup actually prohibits teams from making political statements with their kits, but Denmark's designs don't appear to be in breach of the rules because there aren't any words or symbols making an explicit statement.

Fifa's Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) responded to Denmark's kit in a statement cited by Sky News, in which it insisted it had 'worked diligently alongside the Qatari government to ensure that the tournament delivers a lasting social legacy'.

"Our commitment to this legacy has contributed to significant reforms to the labour system enacting laws protecting the rights of workers and ensuring improved living conditions for them," the statement said.

The SC went on to dispute Hummel's claim that the tournament had 'cost thousands of people their lives', adding: "Furthermore, we whole-heartedly reject the trivialising our genuine commitment to protect the health and safety of the 30,000 workers who built FIFA World Cup™️ stadiums and other tournament projects."

"The onus should always be on countries to do more to protect the rights of peoples all over the world, including in Denmark. The SC's work is recognised by numerous entities within the international human rights community as a model that has accelerated progress and improved lives. Qatar's reforms are acknowledged by the ILO and ITUC as a benchmark in the region. Like every country, progress on these issues is a journey without a finish line, and Qatar is committed to that journey.

"We urge the DBU to accurately convey the outcome of their extensive communication and work with the SC, and to ensure that this is accurately communicated to their partners at Hummel," the SC said.

LADbible has reached out to Hummel and Fifa for further comment.