England‘s World Cup squad have touched down on the tarmac in Qatar, having arrived in a Virgin Atlantic aircraft emblazoned with Gay Pride logo in staunch defiance of the host nation’s attitudes towards homosexuality.
Gareth Southgate‘s side left the national team training ground at St George’s Park this morning and headed to Birmingham Airport, where they stepped onto their flight to Doha.
A host of England players including star striker Harry Kane were pictured stepping out of the jet around 8.30pm local time in Qatar (5.30 GMT) and filing into a bus which whisked them to the terminal and on to their accommodation ahead of the start of their World Cup campaign against Iran next Monday.
The squad went on to complete light training session on Tuesday evening, before serious preparations get underway at their Al Wakrah training facility on Wednesday ahead of next Monday’s tournament opener.
They were met with cheers from a horde of fans who were waiting outside the training facility,…