New Delhi: Iran started its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with an electrifying 2-2 draw against New Zealand at SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, early Tuesday. However, the spotlight shifted to security personnel confiscating pre-revolutionary Iranian flags from the fans.
In several videos, Iranian American fans claimed that security confiscated pre-revolutionary flags, igniting a legal battle and protests that have put FIFA at the centre of a charged political dispute on US soil.
The pre-revolutionary Iranian flag featured the Lion and Sun emblem, a symbol rooted in Persian history that predates the 1979 Islamic Revolution. For many Iranians living outside the West Asian nation, the flag represents cultural identity and opposition to the current Islamic Republic. The Iranian national team is competing at the 2026 World Cup under the flag of the Islamic Republic
Tensions prevailed even before the match erupted. When the national anthem for Iran played, a section of the crowd could be heard booing the team.
“Iranians are booing the IRGC team during the national anthem. You can see the TRUE flag of Iran, the Lion and Sun flag, alongside the USA flag inside SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles Stadium),” an X user posted.
FIFA, however, has banned the symbol from all World Cup venues. Iranian American groups claimed this move effectively enforces the preferences of the Tehran government inside US stadiums.
Appeal to FIFA, legal action fail
Footage circulating on social media showed stadium security approaching fans and removing the pre-revolutionary flags before matches, with several attendees getting into a confrontation. It drew swift reactions on social media.
“Iranian people remind America that it’s a shame to show the flag of terrorism on US soil. The flag of a regime that murdered Iranian protesters, the flag of a regime that targeted the US soldiers and shot down US helicopter and fighter jet. Good thing that Iranian people will remind the world where the moral compass is,” an Israeli user named Hananya Naftal posted on X.
After the old Iranian flag was banned, several groups filed appeals with FIFA, requesting that the flag be allowed inside stadiums. When that effort failed, Iranian American advocates pursued legal action, seeking a court-issued restraining order to prevent FIFA from enforcing the ban at subsequent matches. However, both efforts were unsuccessful, leaving the ban in place for the remainder of the tournament.
Protesters gathered outside SoFi Stadium. They carried the Lion and Sun flag on the footpaths and plazas surrounding the ground.
“Iranian patriots outside SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles are protesting the Islamic Republic’s World Cup team. This is about Iran, soccer, football, and truth. A regime that kills its own people should not be celebrated on the world’s biggest stage,” an X user claiming to be a US Army veteran posted.
‘Team doesn’t represent Iranian people’
FIFA has not publicly commented on the decision to ban the Lion and Sun flag. However, the organisation has previously cited its policy of political neutrality when restricting symbols at its events. Critics argue that the decision is itself political, as it privileges the current Iranian government’s position on a contested national symbol over the identity of millions of people in the diaspora.
“The Iranian people have survived dictators, prisons, and executions. Does FIFA really think a flag ban will stop us? If our Lion and Sun flag is banned again, our response will be impossible to ignore. The world will hear our voice,” another X user named Iman Sefati based in Germany posted.
For the Iranian Americans protesting outside the stadium, the Iranian team playing at the World Cup was “a team of the regime and not a team of the people of Iran”.
(Edited by Prashant Dixit)