One one hand, we doff our hats to the Netherlands and the seven other national sides for signing on to the One Love campaign. Impeccable ambassadors of human rights. On another level, these are players who represent their country and bear responsibility in strict footballing terms to carry their side to their fullest potential.

In an equal and just world, obviously the first part would not even be an issue but even so, battling the headwinds of a deeply corrupt organization like FIFA whose first priority is appeasing those who write their checks is an enervating enterprise. There is no checking of repression at the door as long as you carry lot of cash. FIFA in short, does not have your back, it has cash back. And passing out yellows for wearing the One Love armband shows whose side they are on.

We can never stop fighting the good fight but human rights are often clouded and made messy by accusations of moral hegemony. So much of it has to do with enabling a authoritarian state to create a stable political structure no matter the human cost. Maybe the way out of this quandary is to fulfill our footballing credentials by winning on the pitch and making our countries proud. Maybe in those victories lie the answer to an eventual acceptance by those who would oppress.