Business

Paramount Global said Monday it scrapped its $2.2 billion deal to sell book publisher Simon & Schuster to rival Penguin Random House.
The decision came weeks after a federal judge rejected the merger.
Paramount indicated that it would still seek to unload Simon & Schuster.

The Penguin logo is visible on the spines of books displayed on a shelf at Book Passage on Nov. 2, 2021 in Corte Madera, California. The U.S. Department of Justice is suing Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster to block the companies from completing a merger valued at $2.175 billion.
Justin Sullivan | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Paramount Global said Monday it scrapped its $2.2 billion deal to sell book publisher Simon & Schuster to rival Penguin Random House, weeks after a federal judge rejected the merger.
Penguin, which is owned by German media conglomerate Bertelsmann, said it still believes Simon & Schuster is a good fit for its business but that it accepted Paramount’s decision.

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“We believe the judge’s ruling is wrong and planned to appeal the decision, confident we could make a compelling and persuasive argument to reverse the lower court ruling on appeal,” Penguin said in a statement Monday afternoon. “However, we have to accept Paramount’s decision not to move forward.”
Paramount’s decision to pull the plug on the deal came more than a year after the Justice Department sued to block the deal, saying it would hurt competition for books in the publishing world. On Halloween, after a trial that included testimony from bestselling horror author Stephen King, U.S. District Court Judge Florence Y. Pan ruled against the deal, delivering a major victory for the Biden administration’s antitrust agenda.
King, who writes books for Simon & Schuster, said he was “delighted” by the ruling. “The proposed merger was never about readers and writers; it was about preserving (and growing) PRH’s market share. In other words: $$$,” he tweeted.
In its announcement Monday, Paramount said Penguin is on the hook for a $200 million termination fee.
Paramount also indicated that it would still seek to unload Simon & Schuster.

“Simon & Schuster is a highly valuable business with a recent record of strong performance,” Paramount said. “However, it is not video-based and therefore does not fit strategically within Paramount’s broader portfolio.”
Read Paramount’s full release here:

Paramount Global (f/k/a ViacomCBS Inc.) (“Paramount”) announced that it and certain of its subsidiaries had entered into a Share Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) to sell the Simon & Schuster business to Penguin Random House LLC (part of the Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA group, “Penguin Random House”), subject to the satisfaction of certain customary conditions, including receipt of applicable regulatory approvals (the “Sale”).
On November 2, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice (the “DOJ”) filed suit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia to block the Sale and on October 31, 2022, the Court ruled in favor of the DOJ, enjoining the Sale (the “Decision”). Following the Decision, on November 21, 2022, Paramount terminated the Purchase Agreement in accordance with its terms. Penguin Random House is obligated to pay a $200 million termination fee to Paramount. Simon & Schuster remains a non-core asset to Paramount, as was determined in early 2020 when Paramount conducted a strategic review of its assets.
Simon & Schuster is a highly valuable business with a recent record of strong performance; however, it is not video-based and therefore does not fit strategically within Paramount’s broader portfolio.

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Disney’s board reached out to Bob Iger on Friday about coming back as CEO.
Senior Disney leadership, including CFO Christine McCarthy, had concerns with Chapek’s management of the company.
Chapek and his inner circle were caught off guard by the news, which broke Sunday night.

Disney chose to rehire Bob Iger as chief executive after receiving internal complaints from senior leadership that Bob Chapek was not fit for the job, according to people familiar with the matter.
The executive change came together quickly, blindsiding Chapek and his closest allies. Disney’s board reached out to Iger on Friday, without any other serious candidates in mind to replace Chapek as CEO, CNBC’s David Faber reported Monday, citing sources.

The board’s outreach to Iger and discussion to replace Chapek came after the board married internal complaints about Chapek’s leadership with concerns following Disney’s most recent quarterly earnings report, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions were private. One of the executives to express a lack of confidence in Chapek was Christine McCarthy, Disney’s chief financial officer, two of the people said.

Christine M. McCarthy, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer The Walt Disney Company.
Source: The Walt Disney Company

McCarthy was Iger’s CFO before he departed as CEO in 2020, holding the role since 2015. She has an established relationship with the board given her longevity in the position, the people said.
A Disney spokesperson declined to comment. Chapek didn’t respond to a request for comment.
On Sunday, Disney said it would replace Chapek with Iger as chief executive, effective immediately.
Iger has agreed to serve as CEO through the end of 2024, and will earn a $1 million base annual salary, Disney said in a regulatory filing Monday. The compensation package includes an annual bonus target of 100% of his annual salary, with an annual target of $25 million for a long-term incentive award.

Chapek had a base salary of $2.5 million, with an annual target of $20 million, which was increased from $15 million when his contract was renewed earlier this year. He is reportedly in line to receive a severance package of at least $20 million.
Chapek had come under fire for his management of Disney in the last few years. Chapek was notified on Sunday night, Faber reported.
Chapek and his inner circle were caught off guard by the news, one of the people said. The status of Chapek’s right-hand man, Kareem Daniel, is murky and dependent on the direction Iger wants to take at the company, two of the people said. Daniel leads Disney Media and Entertainment, a division created through Chapek’s reorganization of the company. Iger has never been a fan of the reorganization, which has caused internal consternation for nearly two years.

Chapek complaints

Iger has consistently heard complaints from his ex-colleagues throughout the year about Chapek’s leadership style and decision to pull away budgetary power from Disney’s creative executives, according to people familiar with the matter. Several specifically noted Chapek’s plan to move 2,000 Disney employees from California to Florida, which was then delayed, showed a level of callousness toward employees’ lives that didn’t jive with Disney’s family-friendly culture.
While some internal CEO candidates were identified who might be able to take the job over time, the board didn’t want to put someone new in that position given all various pressures on the company, Faber reported.
Disney reported fiscal fourth-quarter earnings earlier this month, disappointing on profit and certain key revenue segments. The company had also warned that its strong streaming numbers would likely taper off in the future. Three days later, Chapek told executives that Disney would cut costs through hiring freezes, layoffs and other measures. The memo about cost-cutting led to some internal pushback against Chapek, one of the people said.
The company’s shares rose Monday following the news of Chapek’s replacement.
— CNBC’s David Faber contributed to this article.

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Disney’s board just renewed Bob Chapek’s contract in late June.
Bob Iger returns as CEO despite publicly saying he wouldn’t come back.
Chapek’s tenure will likely be defined by unforced errors and bad luck.

Stephen Desaulniers | CNBC

The Disney board’s decision to swap out Bob Chapek for Bob Iger as CEO may be the right one for the company’s future. But the process to get to this choice makes everyone involved look less than stellar.
No sudden CEO change is easy, but the specifics that led to Iger replacing his hand-picked successor are filled with missteps, deceit and awkwardness.

The Disney board extended Chapek’s contract for three more years on June 28.
“Disney was dealt a tough hand by the pandemic, yet with Bob at the helm, our businesses — from parks to streaming — not only weathered the storm, but emerged in a position of strength,” Disney Chairman Susan Arnold wrote in a statement at the time. “In this important time of growth and transformation, the Board is committed to keeping Disney on the successful path it is on today, and Bob’s leadership is key to achieving that goal. Bob is the right leader at the right time for The Walt Disney Company, and the Board has full confidence in him and his leadership team.”

Bob Chapek, Chief Executive Officer of Disney, speaks at the 2022 Disney Legends Awards during Disney’s D23 Expo in Anaheim, California, September 9, 2022.
Mario Anzuoni | Reuters

Iger-Chapek awkwardness

Chapek can also validly argue he was dealt a losing hand. He took over as CEO in February 2020, just as the coronavirus pandemic started, bringing theme park attendance to a standstill. He successfully oversaw a full rebound in park attendance, so much so that he began putting in place ways to limit crowds to increase consumer happiness.
Disney+ has consistently gained subscribers the past year, often more than 10 million in a quarter, even while Netflix’s additions plateaued. But investors turned on the growth-at-all-costs streaming narrative in January, making Disney+’s subsequent growth less compelling.
Arguably, Chapek’s biggest mistake was icing out Iger rather than making him a trusted advisor. Throughout Chapek’s tenure, he couldn’t help but be compared with the man he replaced. Three times before, Iger pushed back retirement to stay as Disney’s CEO. In that sense, it’s not a surprise he’d come back again, despite his words otherwise.
To push away Iger rather than embrace his help was always risky. It appears as though it helped lead to Chapek’s premature end as CEO.
WATCH: CNBC’s Jim Cramer and David Faber trade notes on Bob Iger’s return to Disney

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Bob Chapek is out as chief executive of Disney (DIS), the company said late Sunday, a leadership shakeup that nearly two weeks ago we began to champion as necessary to get the entertainment giant back on track. We’re pleased to see Bob Iger is returning to the CEO role nearly three years after he vacated it , and the market agrees as Disney shares surged as much as 9% in premarket trading Monday morning to over $100 each. As of Friday’s close, the stock was down 35% year to date. Iger’s reappointment, which is effective immediately, also comes about 11 months after he stepped down as Disney chairman . Chapek was Iger’s hand-picked successor, but investor confidence in Chapek had begun to wane in recent months as Disney shares struggled to find momentum and losses in its Direct to Consumer (DTC) streaming division mounted. After Disney’s terrible fiscal fourth-quarter results Nov. 8 , the Club felt no choice but to call for Chapek’s ouster. Jim Cramer doubled down on the need for a CEO change Thursday during the Club’s November “Monthly Meeting,” correctly predicting that Disney shares would surge on news that Chapek was replaced. Disney said Chapek stepped down. Chapek’s tenure was set to run to July 2025, after Disney’s board unanimously approved a three-year contract extension in late June . Iger has committed to serve two years as CEO and agreed to help the board develop his eventual replacement, according to Disney. Iger previously led Disney from 2005 to 2020. Wall Street analysts are generally viewing Iger’s return positively, albeit rather unexpectedly. Bank of America reiterated its buy rating and $115 price target, writing in a note to clients that Iger at the helm “could significantly boost investor sentiment and introduces a potential upcoming catalyst in the form of a new strategic direction.” Meanwhile, media-focused research firm MoffettNathanson upgraded Disney to the equivalent of a buy from hold and boosted its price target to $120 from $100. “What I find about Bob Iger is he’s honest and direct. It’s going to be a different regime than when he first started. he’s going to have to cut things. he’s going to have to look at the portfolio and really make some hard decisions. But that’s what has to be done now. The business is in a different place,” analyst Michael Nathanson told CNBC on Monday. JPMorgan came out with a mid-morning note of caution, saying they’re “reluctant to recommend chasing” the stock on concerns that there are not any quick fixes for the issues facing the company, especially in DTC. Analysts there are, however, keeping their equivalent to a buy rating on Disney. The Club’s take Iger will be the steady hand Disney needs in this critical moment. He is a well-respected, effective communicator. We expect him to be much more thoughtful in terms of navigating cord-cutting at the company’s media division and positioning the streaming business toward profitable growth. Iger also will have to fix the issue of Disney’s balance sheet. When Disney reported that awful quarter earlier this month that showed its expenses and operating losses were too high, we voiced our frustration about Disney leadership. The quarter made it clear that Chapek’s strategy was not working and a change at the top was necessary to return this great franchise to its winning ways. If you listened to our November “Monthly Meeting” last week , you would have heard how passionate we were about Chapek’s removal being in the best interest of shareholders. We said Disney shares would immediately pop on his firing because he had shown he was too incapable of running a company of Disney’s scale. We are pleased to see the board listen to its shareholders and make a switch at the top. As good as Chapek was operating the theme parks through the Covid pandemic and into the reopening with record margins, Disney at its heart is a creative company and he did not have the creative chops to lead. In the past, we were willing to give Chapek the benefit of the doubt due to his experience operating the company’s profitable theme parks division. We also recognized that external complications such as the Covid pandemic were out of his control, and even some internal challenges — such as Disney’s debt-laden balance sheet — were inherited. However, as time went on, it became clear Disney’s operational focus was lacking, especially on the streaming side, and that a course correction was needed. As for past criticism of the Fox deal under Iger, perhaps his surprise return can help fix that troubled integration. On Monday’s “Morning Meeting,” Jim said Iger reassuming the CEO job calls to mind Howard Schultz returning on an interim basis to Club holdings Starbucks (SBUX) earlier this year, replacing the chief executive who had succeeded him back in 2017. (It’s worth noting that Kevin Johnson at Starbucks retired as CEO). Schultz came in with a clear focus to right the ship and make sure the coffee giant was in tune with the latest customer trends and employee morale. Schultz’s transformation plan was a key reason we invested in Starbucks in August, and so far it seems to be paying off. We think Iger could have a similar impact at Disney. Remember, there’s a lot at stake here with two activist investors involved in Disney and pushing for changes. Third Point’s Dan Loeb wants Disney to buy the rest of Hulu. Trian’s Nelson Peltz wants a board seat and was against rehiring Iger, according to The Wall Street Journal. (Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust is long DIS. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.

Bob Iger, CEO, The Walt Disney Company
Scott Mlyn | CNBC More

Bob Iger is back as CEO of Disney.
Bob Chapek was named CEO in February 2020 and came under fire for various decisions.
Shares of Dow 30 component Disney jumped in premarket trade Monday.

Bob Iger, former CEO, The Walt Disney Company
Scott Mlyn | CNBC

Bob Iger is back.
Disney, in a shocking late Sunday announcement, said it had reappointed Iger as chief executive, effective immediately, after Iger’s hand-picked successor as CEO, Bob Chapek, came under fire for his management of the entertainment giant.

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Analysts cheer Iger’s return to Disney; MoffettNathanson upgrades and sees 30% upside

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“It is with an incredible sense of gratitude and humility — and, I must admit, a bit of amazement — that I write to you this evening with the news that I am returning to The Walt Disney Company as Chief Executive Officer,” Iger wrote to employees in an email, which was obtained by CNBC.
Shares of Disney, a Dow component, were up about 8% in premarket trade Monday.
The dramatic upheaval comes 11 months after Iger left Disney, and days after Chapek said he planned to cut costs at the company, which had been burdened by swelling costs at its streaming service, Disney+. Earlier this month, the company’s earnings vastly underperformed Wall Street’s expectations. Even its theme park business, which reported a surge in revenue, delivered less than what analysts had projected.
Iger’s return also comes as legacy media companies contend with a rapidly shifting landscape, as ad dollars dry up and consumers increasingly cut off their cable subscriptions in favor of streaming.
Iger will help the company’s board develop a new successor, Disney said in a release.

Chapek was named chief executive in February 2020, succeeding Iger, who had previously said he wouldn’t return to the role.
Shares of Disney have fallen about 41% so far this year, as of Friday’s close. The stock hit a 52-week low Nov. 9.
Iger has signed on to work as CEO for two years, Disney said Sunday, “with a mandate from the Board to set the strategic direction for renewed growth and to work closely with the Board in developing a successor to lead the Company at the completion of his term.”
The company said Chapek stepped down. Soon after Chapek took over in 2020, Covid-19 became a pandemic and forced the shutdown of Disney’s theme parks and prevented it, for a time, from releasing movies in theaters. Nevertheless, the company’s stock soared in 2021, before crashing down to earth in recent months.
“We thank Bob Chapek for his service to Disney over his long career, including navigating the company through the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic,” said Susan Arnold, Disney’s board chair. She will remain in that role.
Chapek, whose contract as CEO was extended earlier this year, planned a hiring freeze, cost cuts and layoffs across the company, according to a memo CNBC obtained earlier this month. The internal memo came three days after the company’s poor quarterly earnings report.
Iger, who held the CEO role for 15 years at Disney, had favored Chapek as his successor. The two ultimately had a falling out, and their conflict cast a shadow over the company’s future. Chapek distanced himself from Iger with a series of decisions, including his new approach to streaming prices for Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+.
Iger is a widely respected and liked figure at Disney. He oversaw its deals to acquire Pixar, Lucasfilm and its Star Wars properties, and Marvel – all of which have become multibillion-dollar intellectual property behemoths.
Chapek, meanwhile, angered employees with his initial silence about the “Don’t Say Gay” law in Florida, where the company’s Walt Disney World resort is located. He then received blowback from Republican politicians, such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, for opposing it. Earlier this month, CNBC reported that Chapek had been in touch with Republican leaders in preparation for the GOP taking over the House.
Chapek also was criticized for his handling of the controversy over Scarlett Johansson’s pay for her work in the Marvel movie “Black Widow.”
Read Iger’s email to Disney employees here:

Dear Fellow Employees and Cast Members,
It is with an incredible sense of gratitude and humility—and, I must admit, a bit of amazement—that I write to you this evening with the news that I am returning to The Walt Disney Company as Chief Executive Officer.
When I look at the creative success of our teams across our Studios, Disney General Entertainment, ESPN and International, the rapid growth of our streaming services, the phenomenal reimagining and rebound of our Parks, the continued great work of ABC News, and so many other achievements across our businesses, I am in awe of your accomplishments and I am excited to embark with you on many new endeavors.
I know this company has asked so much of you during the past three years, and these times certainly remain quite challenging, but as you have heard me say before, I am an optimist, and if I learned one thing from my years at Disney, it is that even in the face of uncertainty—perhaps especially in the face of uncertainty—our employees and Cast Members achieve the impossible.
You will be hearing more from me and your leaders tomorrow and in the weeks ahead. In the meantime, allow me to express my deep gratitude for all that you do. Disney holds a special place in the hearts of people around the globe thanks to you, and your dedication to this company and its mission to bring joy to people through great storytelling is an inspiration to me every single day. 
Bob Iger

Read Disney’s full announcement here:

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) announced today that Robert A. Iger is returning to lead Disney as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Iger, who spent more than four decades at the Company, including 15 years as its CEO, has agreed to serve as Disney’s CEO for two years, with a mandate from the Board to set the strategic direction for renewed growth and to work closely with the Board in developing a successor to lead the Company at the completion of his term. Mr. Iger succeeds Bob Chapek, who has stepped down from his position. 
“We thank Bob Chapek for his service to Disney over his long career, including navigating the company through the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic,” said Susan Arnold, Chairman of the Board. “The Board has concluded that as Disney embarks on an increasingly complex period of industry transformation, Bob Iger is uniquely situated to lead the Company through this pivotal period.”
“Mr. Iger has the deep respect of Disney’s senior leadership team, most of whom he worked closely with until his departure as executive chairman 11 months ago, and he is greatly admired by Disney employees worldwide–all of which will allow for a seamless transition of leadership,” she said.
The position of Chairman of the Board remains unchanged, with Ms. Arnold serving in that capacity.
“I am extremely optimistic for the future of this great company and thrilled to be asked by the Board to return as its CEO,” Mr. Iger said. “Disney and its incomparable brands and franchises hold a special place in the hearts of so many people around the globe—most especially in the hearts of our employees, whose dedication to this company and its mission is an inspiration. I am deeply honored to be asked to again lead this remarkable team, with a clear mission focused on creative excellence to inspire generations through unrivaled, bold storytelling.
“During his 15 years as CEO, from 2005 to 2020, Mr. Iger helped build Disney into one of the world’s most successful and admired media and entertainment companies with a strategic vision focused on creative excellence, technological innovation and international growth. He expanded on Disney’s legacy of unparalleled storytelling with the acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm and 21st Century Fox and increased the Company’s market capitalization fivefold during his time as CEO. Mr. Iger continued to direct Disney’s creative endeavors until his departure as Executive Chairman last December, and the Company’s robust pipeline of content is a testament to his leadership and vision.”

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Bob Iger has disapproved of several of Bob Chapek’s changes to Disney despite hand-picking him as his successor in early 2020, sources have told CNBC.
Disney shares have fallen more than 40% this year, including slumping on weak fiscal fourth-quarter results earlier this month.
The biggest point of contention may be Chapek’s reorganization of the company, which established a new division called Disney Media and Entertainment.

Robert Iger, Chairman and CEO at The Walt Disney Company speaks in Laguna Beach, California, October 22, 2019.
Mike Blake | Reuters

Bob Iger’s shocking return as Disney’s chief executive officer immediately throws into question several major decisions made by outgoing CEO Bob Chapek.
Disney shares, which rose about 8% in premarket trade Monday, have fallen more than 40% this year, including slumping on weak fiscal fourth-quarter results earlier this month.

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The Disney board’s choice to replace Chapek with Iger speaks to it having more confidence Iger will deliver better results. Iger has disapproved of several of Chapek’s changes to Disney despite hand-picking him as his successor in early 2020, according to people familiar with the matter, as CNBC reported earlier this year.
The biggest point of contention may be Chapek’s reorganization of the company, which established a new division called Disney Media and Entertainment, or DMED, and consolidated budgetary power for Disney’s content and distribution divisions under Kareem Daniel. Undoing a complete restructure of a company would be messy and time consuming, but it’s hard to imagine Iger will keep Chapek’s organization in place. Daniel’s position at the company also becomes more tenuous. He has close connections to Chapek.
Iger also believed Disney+ should underprice competitive streaming services to maximize its price-value perception among consumers. Chapek decided to raise Disney+’s price to $10.99 without ads as of Dec. 8, making it more expensive than other no-ad streaming services, such as Paramount+ and NBCUniversal’s Peacock. Given Dec. 8 is just weeks away, it may be too late for Iger to walk back that price increase — or the decision to price Disney+ with ads at $7.99 per month rather than a lower price — but it’s possible.
The two leaders don’t disagree on everything. Both have long championed the value of ESPN and Hulu, which are both majority controlled by Disney. Disney has the option to buy Comcast’s 33% in Hulu in January 2024. Chapek expressed a desire to move forward with that transaction. Given Iger’s support for a three-pronged streaming strategy of Hulu, ESPN+ and Disney+, it’s likely he would choose to do the same.
But Iger clashed with Chapek’s initial handling of how Disney reacted to Florida’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, privately expressing angst about how the Disney brand may be affected. It wouldn’t be surprising if Iger’s first order of business, before unwinding any of Chapek’s structural changes or reeling in direct-to-consumer spending, is to bring a sense of pride back to the company’s culture.

Disclosure: Comcast owns CNBC’s parent NBCUniversal.
WATCH: Bob Chapek and Bob Iger’s strained relationship

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“We are very frustrated by the FIFA decision which we believe is unprecedented,” the European teams’ joint statement said and pledged to express their support for inclusion by other means.
FIFA, which has vocally come to Qatar’s defense in the face of criticism, rejected the “OneLove” campaign and instead has promoted its own “No Discrimination” campaign, which features different armbands.
The hosting of the World Cup by Qatar, a tiny and religiously conservative gas-rich sheikhdom in the Gulf, was controversial from the outset when it first won this year’s bid in 2010.

A detailed view of the ‘ONE-LOVE’ captains armband worn by Georginio Wijnaldum of Netherlands is seen during the UEFA Euro 2020 Championship in Budapest, Hungary.
Alex Livesey – Uefa | Uefa | Getty Images

The European teams competing at the 2022 Qatar World Cup walked back their plans to wear “OneLove” armbands in support of LGBTQ rights during the tournament, they announced Monday, after warnings from international soccer governing body FIFA that they would be penalized for doing so.
Captains of the teams from the seven European nations competing in the World Cup — England, Wales, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Switzerland, and the Netherlands — made the announcement concerning the rainbow armbands, which are meant to signal support for diversity and inclusion.

In an unprecedented move just hours before matches began, FIFA warned it would issue a yellow card to any player wearing the armband. Two yellow cards in a game mean the player is sent off the field.
“FIFA has been very clear that it will impose sporting sanctions if our captains wear the armbands on the field of play,” a joint statement from the countries’ soccer associations said. “As national federations, we can’t put our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions including bookings, so we have asked the captains not to attempt to wear the armbands in FIFA World Cup games.”
“We were prepared to pay fines that would normally apply to breaches of kit regulations and had a strong commitment to wearing the armband,” the statement added. “However, we cannot put our players in the situation where they might be booked or even forced to leave the field of play.” The teams from England, Wales and the Netherlands were all slated to play on Monday.
“We are very frustrated by the FIFA decision which we believe is unprecedented,” the teams’ joint statement added and pledged to express their support for inclusion by other means.

Qatar fans are pictured ahead of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, November 18, 2022.
Marko Djurica | Reuters

The hosting of the World Cup by Qatar, a tiny and religiously conservative gas-rich sheikhdom in the Gulf, was controversial from the outset when it first won this year’s bid in 2010.

In addition to lacking the sufficient infrastructure and capacity for such a tournament at the time, critics sounded the alarm over the country’s human rights record, including for migrant workers and the LGBTQ community. Homosexuality is a crime in Qatar, as in much of the rest of the Muslim world, and men caught in sexual acts with one another can face several years of imprisonment or even the death penalty.
FIFA, which has vocally come to Qatar’s defense on these issues, rejected the “OneLove” campaign and instead has promoted its own “No Discrimination” campaign, which features different armbands.
“FIFA is an inclusive organization that wants to put football to the benefit of society by supporting good and legitimate causes, but it has to be done within the framework of the competition regulations which are known to everyone,” FIFA said in a statement Monday.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino (2ndR) and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman al-Saud during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group A match between Qatar and Ecuador at Al Bayt Stadium on November 20, 2022 in Al Khor, Qatar.
Amin Mohammad Jamali | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images

“FIFA can confirm its No Discrimination campaign has been brought forward from the planned quarter-finals stage in order that all 32 captains will have the opportunity to wear this armband during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.”
It added that the organization’s president, Gianni Infantino, supported the LGBTQ community.
“FIFA President Gianni Infantino has reiterated his support of the LGBTQI+ community during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022,” the statement said.
It then quoted Infantino as saying, “I have been speaking about this subject with the country’s highest leadership. They have confirmed, and I can confirm that everyone is welcome. If anyone says the opposite, well it’s not the opinion of the country and it’s certainly not the opinion of FIFA.”

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NASA’s Orion spacecraft made its closest approach to the moon on Monday morning during day five of the Artemis 1 mission.
The uncrewed capsule flew about 81 miles above the lunar surface, the agency said.
Artemis I launched from Florida on Wednesday – while no astronauts are onboard, the nearly month-long journey around the moon is a critical demonstration for NASA’s lunar program.

NASA’s Orion spacecraft approaches the moon, with Earth visible in the background, on Nov. 21, 2022.

NASA’s Orion spacecraft made its closest approach to the moon on Monday morning during day five of the Artemis 1 mission.
The uncrewed capsule flew about 81 miles above the lunar surface, the agency said.

Artemis I launched from Florida on Wednesday, with NASA’s most powerful rocket ever – the Space Launch System (SLS) – successfully carrying Orion into space. While no astronauts are onboard, the nearly month-long journey around the moon is a critical demonstration for NASA’s lunar program.

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Orion will use the moon’s gravity to assist it in setting a trajectory back to Earth. Over the course of the mission, Orion is expected to travel about 1.3 million miles.
The mission represents a crucial inflection point in NASA’s moon plans, with the program delayed for years and running billions of dollars over budget. The Artemis program represents a series of missions with escalating goals. The third – tentatively scheduled for 2025 – is expected to return astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time since the Apollo era.

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