FIFA to ban pre-revolutionary Iranian flag at 2026 world cup

WEB DESK: Football’s global governing body, FIFA, has announced plans to prohibit fans from displaying Iran’s pre-revolutionary flag at the upcoming 2026 World Cup in North America.

The decision, first reported by The Athletic, has sparked immediate controversy and intense backlash among the global Iranian diaspora, who widely use the historic emblem as a symbol of national identity and open defiance against the current Islamic Republic regime, according to The Independent.

The flag in question features the traditional gold “Lion and Sun” (Shir-o-Khorshid) motif at its center, set against the familiar green, white, and red tricolour.

In a statement addressing the tournament’s guidelines, a FIFA spokesperson pointed to Article 3.1.243 of the official Stadium Code of Conduct, which strictly prohibits any “banners, flags, fliers, apparel, and other paraphernalia that are of a political, offensive, and/or discriminatory nature.”

Diaspora outrage on the west coast

The ruling has drawn fierce criticism from activist groups and opposition figures, particularly given the geography of Iran’s upcoming group-stage fixtures.

The Iranian national team which is set to face New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt in Group G will play major matches on the American West Coast, including an opening clash against New Zealand at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium on 15 June.

The Southern California region is home to the largest concentration of Iranians outside Iran, often colloquially referred to as “Tehrangeles.”

Activists argue that the Lion and Sun emblem is a civilisational and cultural heritage marker dating back centuries, rather than a modern political logo, and accuse FIFA of capitulating to pressure from Tehran.

Exiled opposition leaders have already called on fans to turn out in massive numbers across host cities like Los Angeles and Seattle, urging the diaspora to defy the stadium restrictions by carrying the historic flag as a “national duty” to protest the modern theocracy.