Protests - Part 35

 More Nude Soccer

Previously, we saw how German photographer Gerrit Starczewski (above) organized a naked soccer match in 2020 as a protest against the commercialization of the sport.  He also organized the Naked Heart project at the Frequency and Melt music festivals.

In 2021, he organized another nude soccer protest match.  This time, it was to protest the decision by FIFA, the world soccer governing body, to let Qatar host the World Cup in 2022.  Critics protested Qatar's treatment of migrant workers and ban on homosexuality.  Starczewski's 2021 nude match was held in Duisburg, Germany, above.

A team called the NACKTionalmannschaft played nude against a clothed team.  "Nackt" means naked, and the name is a pun on the German word for "national team."

Here's a video clip showing the team lined up, with painters starting to paint letters on the players' bodies.  The team includes a few women, but they're mostly men.

At the end of the video you can see what the letters spell out: "Boycott Qatar 22." 

Here's a front view of part of the team.

In 2022, just days before the World Cup in Qatar, Starczewski organized another nude protest match in Essen, Germany.  This time, in addition to the nude team spelling out "Boycott Qatar," the clothed team's shirts spelled out "Fuck you FIFA."  FIFA is the organization that scheduled the World Cup in Qatar.

Here's a closeup shot of part of the lineup.

Then the game began.  This guy was the last T in "Boycott."

This guy was the first A in "Qatar."

We end with some short clips from a video about the match.  I think these scenes were from before and after the actual game.  If the goal of the protest matches was to make Germany boycott the World Cup, they failed.  But at least it looks like the naked soccer players had some fun.