England players are apprehensive about being compelled to adopt political positions at this summer's World Cup, according to the Professional Footballers' Association's chief executive.
Maheta Molango disclosed that he has held conversations with members of Thomas Tuchel's squad regarding their concerns ahead of the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The PFA boss stated his aim is to prevent players from being "hung out to dry" — a fate he believes befell them during the previous World Cup in Qatar.
Political upheaval has cast a shadow over preparations for the competition, with the Donald Trump-led US-Israeli conflict with Iran dominating headlines.
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Speaking to Sky News, Molango explained the frustrations felt within the squad.
"However, what some of them have told me is that they found it a little bit unfair that ultimately, for as much as they have a platform, why should they turn into spokespeople for governments or for governing bodies that in reality should be the ones taking the lead?" he said.
The PFA chief added that players felt let down at the 2022 tournament.
England players are apprehensive about being compelled to adopt political positions at this summer's World Cup, according to the Professional Footballers' Association's chief executive
|GETTY
"Instead of having the government or having the governing body showing leadership on certain topics, all of a sudden the players were asked to become political spokespeople and that's not what they are," Molango stated.
"Those people are paid for delivering a show on the pitch."
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar saw England's squad embroiled in a dispute concerning LGBTQ+ rights when captain Harry Kane intended to don a rainbow armband.
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England's record in their last five major tournaments | PA/GETTYHowever, the protest was abandoned after FIFA threatened to sanction the Football Association should he proceed with the gesture.
Players also voiced opposition to wider human rights abuses in the host nation, where thousands of migrant labourers perished during construction projects in the years preceding the tournament.
Molango described the England players as intelligent and socially aware individuals who recognise they possess a significant platform.
"That platform can be used to create a better world and to try to influence people," he told Sky News.
Despite their reservations about public pronouncements, the squad has been actively engaging with these matters in private, according to Molango.
Thomas Tuchel's England are expected to go far in the World Cup | PA"They are talking about all these issues, but behind the scenes; they don't just necessarily want to talk about them in public," he revealed.
The PFA chief emphasised that players should retain autonomy over when and how they utilise their influence.
"It is for them to use their platform when they deem it appropriate," Molango said.
He stressed that most squad members hold strong opinions and wish to effect change, but insisted this must occur on their own terms rather than through external pressure.
"It cannot be that they are forced to become political spokespeople because that's not their job," he concluded.