The world soccer governing body, FIFA, reportedly plans to again prohibit fans from displaying Iran's pre-revolutionary flag at the 2026 World Cup, renewing a controversy that shadowed the tournament in Qatar four years ago and drawing immediate backlash from the Iranian diaspora and opposition figures.The ban was reported by The Athletic on May 19 after FIFA pointed to its stadium code of conduct, which bars "banners, flags, apparel, and other paraphernalia that are of a political, offensive, and/or discriminatory nature" from venues. Unlike in Qatar, where enforcement was inconsistent, the 2026 ban is expected to be applied as a blanket policy.
Members of Iran's national soccer team attend a ceremony ahead of their departure for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, in Tehran on May 13.
The report said the Iranian soccer federation had submitted a list of demands to FIFA related to the team's participation, including "respect for the Iranian flag," and FIFA described recent talks with Iranian football officials as "excellent" and "constructive."Iranian-born Belgian MP Darya Safai, who has campaigned for years for Iranian women's right to enter sports stadiums, told RFE/RL Radio Farda the ban would not stop diaspora fans. "If you insist, if you sit on your seat and take it up, they cannot do anything. I have always said: This is my real flag, this is my seat, and I will sit here."She drew a direct comparison between the Islamic republic's official flag and Soviet-era iconography. "The flag of the Islamic republic is an ideological flag, comparable to the hammer and sickle of communism. It is not the real flag of the Iranian people."
