FIFA under pressure over Iranian lion-and-sun flag ahead of World Cup matches in the U.S.
Ahead of Iran's appearance at the 2026 World Cup, FIFA is facing a sensitive decision that goes beyond the usual issues of stadium order and security. At issue is whether fans will be allowed to bring in and display the pre-revolutionary Iranian flag with the lion and sun, a symbol used by part of the Iranian diaspora and opponents of the Islamic Republic as a sign of historical identity, political resistance and rejection of the current regime in Tehran. According to reports by several international media outlets, FIFA's stadium guidelines are expected to treat such a flag as a political symbol and therefore as an item that may be banned at arena entrances.
The controversy is particularly sensitive because Iran opens its campaign against New Zealand on June 15, 2026, at a stadium in the Los Angeles area, in the state of California, where a large Iranian community lives and where protests, public gatherings and fan activities have been announced. According to FIFA's official information on Group G, Iran plays New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt in the first round, with the group matches scheduled on the west coast of North America. That is precisely why the debate over the flag is not only a matter of protocol, but also a test of FIFA's ability to reconcile, in the same space, security rules, political neutrality, fans' right to peaceful expression and the tensions surrounding the Iranian national team.
Why the flag has become controversial
The pre-revolutionary Iranian flag with the lion and sun was in wide use before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, after which Iran adopted the current official flag of the Islamic Republic. In the public sphere outside Iran, especially among parts of the diaspora, the lion-and-sun flag often appears at protests against the Iranian authorities, but its meaning is not the same for all groups. For some, it is a historical national symbol that predates the current regime; for others, it is a clear political message against the Islamic Republic, while part of the Iranian public also associates such a flag with the monarchist tradition before 1979.
It is precisely this multi-layered nature of the symbol that creates a problem for the organizers of a major sporting event. FIFA, under its stadium rules, restricts objects and messages it considers political, offensive, discriminatory or security risks. The official fan guidelines for the 2026 World Cup state that small flags, banners and posters are permitted if they are made of fire-retardant material and do not exceed the prescribed dimensions, while larger materials require prior approval. However, FIFA and security services retain the right to make the final assessment of what may be brought into the stadium, which in politically sensitive cases leaves room for different interpretations.
For opponents of the ban, the key argument is that the historical flag itself is not a call to violence or discrimination, but a form of peaceful expression of identity and political stance. Organizations connected with the Iranian diaspora argue that its automatic removal or a ban on entering with such symbols would amount to an unjustified restriction on fans, especially because the matches are being played in the United States, where rules on freedom of expression are particularly strongly protected. On the other hand, FIFA traditionally invokes its obligation to keep stadiums a space for sporting competition without political messages that could provoke clashes among fans.
Legal pressure from California
According to a report by Inside World Football, the organization Institute for Voices of Liberty sent FIFA a letter challenging the intention to ban the lion-and-sun flag and warning of the possibility of legal proceedings in the United States. The report states that the organization is represented by lawyer Shahrokh Mokhtarzadeh, who said that, depending on FIFA's response, the issue could be brought before courts in California, either at the federal or state level. American and international media then reported that the dispute had grown into direct legal pressure on FIFA, with the football organization being asked to stop treating the historical Iranian flag as a banned political prop.
According to available information, the arguments of organizations opposing the ban rest on the claim that the peaceful display of the flag cannot be equated with hate speech, a call to violence or a discriminatory message. In their interpretation, fans carrying such a flag want to express belonging to the Iranian people, and not necessarily support for a particular political party or movement. This is important also because a large part of the Iranian diaspora, especially in California, has publicly distanced itself from the authorities in Tehran in recent years, and sporting events often become one of the few globally visible stages for such messages.
So far, according to publicly available reports, FIFA has not offered a detailed explanation specifying why exactly the lion-and-sun flag would be banned, apart from referring to general rules on political messages and prohibited items. This further fuels criticism because opponents of the ban argue that unclear rules create a risk of arbitrary application at stadium entrances. In practice, the final decision could be made by stewards and security staff, which ahead of matches with high political tension could lead to controversial scenes, fans being held back and new accusations of selective treatment.
Iran's matches come at a time of heightened tension
The Iranian national team is competing in Group G against New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt, and the first match in Los Angeles comes at a time when public attention is focused not only on football but also on the security and diplomatic context. Associated Press reported that protests and fan gatherings are also planned in the Inglewood and Los Angeles area, with part of the Iranian-American community announcing the display of symbols against the Iranian authorities, including clothing and lion-and-sun flags. The same source states that views within the community are divided: some refuse to support a national team they consider too close to the regime, while others separate sport from politics and want to attend the matches as fans.
The fact that, according to reports by The Guardian and Associated Press, the Iranian squad faced logistical and political difficulties during preparations for the tournament adds further weight to all of this. Media reports cite visa problems for some officials and staff, changes to accommodation and training-camp plans, and increased security measures around the national team. Captain Mehdi Taremi, according to The Guardian, said that the tension the team felt upon arrival had pushed aside the usual joy of appearing at the World Cup, while head coach Amir Ghalenoei tried to emphasize that the team's focus was on football.
In such circumstances, banning or allowing one flag becomes much more than a technical matter. If FIFA enforces the ban strictly, it could face protests, legal claims and criticism from human rights and free-expression organizations. If it softens the ban or allows the flag, there is a possibility of reactions from the Iranian authorities and fans who consider the official flag of the Islamic Republic the only legitimate state symbol. In both cases, organizers will have to balance stadium security with the fact that the World Cup, although formally a sporting competition, often reflects political divisions that exist beyond the pitch.
Memories of Qatar 2022 and the slogan "Woman, Life, Freedom"
The debate over Iranian symbols at the World Cup is not new. During the 2022 tournament in Qatar, the political crisis in Iran strongly spilled over into the stands after the death of Mahsa Amini and the protests that spread across the country under the slogan "Woman, Life, Freedom". Associated Press reported at the time that tensions between supporters of the Iranian authorities and opponents of the regime were visible around stadiums, and that some fans had pre-revolutionary flags, shirts and messages of support for the protest movement confiscated. Such events left a deep mark on part of the Iranian diaspora, which now views the possibility of similar scenes being repeated in the U.S. with distrust.
In Qatar, security decisions were made in a different legal and political environment, while the 2026 tournament is being held in three countries, including the United States, with different standards of public expression and legal protection. That is precisely why opponents of the ban argue that FIFA cannot simply invoke the model applied in 2022 and expect it to pass without legal challenge. They particularly stress that a dispute in California would not be only about the rules of a football organization, but also about whether a private organizer of a global event, in cooperation with local stadiums and security services, can restrict non-violent expression in the American legal space.
On the other hand, organizers of major sporting competitions regularly point out that freedom of expression in a stadium is not unlimited. FIFA's rules on prohibited items exist to prevent clashes, discrimination, hate speech, political intimidation and security incidents. The problem in this case is where to draw the line between a political message that could provoke conflict and a historical symbol that some fans consider part of their own identity. For that reason, any decision on the lion-and-sun flag will likely be seen as a precedent for similar disputes at other international sporting events.
FIFA between neutrality, security and freedom of expression
The 2026 World Cup is the first edition with 48 national teams and 104 matches, and it is being held in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. FIFA presents it as the broadest and most inclusive edition of the tournament, but the larger format and multiple host jurisdictions also mean a greater number of sensitive security and political issues. In the case of Iran, these issues are concentrated in several matches that will attract the attention not only of the football public, but also of the diaspora, activists, diplomatic circles and security services.
For FIFA, the problem is particularly difficult because a rule that looks simple on paper, the ban on political messages, becomes hard to implement in practice when national symbols are at once sporting emblems and political signs. The official Iranian flag is, for some, the state symbol of a national team competing under FIFA's auspices, while for others it is a sign of the regime against which they are protesting. The pre-revolutionary lion-and-sun flag is, for some, a historical national symbol, and for others a political message against the current authorities. There is no decision that will be perceived as neutral by all parties involved.
Ahead of Iran's matches in the U.S., the most realistic scenario is increased checks at entrances, a larger security presence and close monitoring of protest gatherings outside stadiums. Under FIFA's rules, fan material may be permitted if it meets technical requirements and does not contain a prohibited message, but the final assessment remains with the organizers and security authorities. This means that the outcome could depend on the specific instructions given to stadiums, but also on whether FIFA further clarifies its position before the matches.
For fans, the Iranian diaspora and human rights organizations, the key question remains whether the lion-and-sun flag will be treated as a banned political prop or as a permitted historical symbol. For FIFA, meanwhile, the challenge is to prevent incidents, avoid accusations of censorship and ensure that the matches are not overshadowed by scenes of fans being removed or symbols being confiscated. A decision made at the last moment could therefore have consequences far beyond one World Cup group, because it will show how ready the rules of global football are to withstand the pressure of real political conflicts appearing in the stands.
Sources:
- FIFA – official information on fan safety, rules for flags and banners at the 2026 World Cup (link)
- FIFA – overview of Group G, Iran's opponents and the 2026 tournament schedule (link)
- Associated Press – report on planned protests, gatherings of the Iranian-American community and the political context of Iran's match against New Zealand (link)
- The Guardian – report on the arrival of the Iranian national team in the U.S., security circumstances and statements by Mehdi Taremi and Amir Ghalenoei (link)
- Inside World Football – report on the letter from the Institute for Voices of Liberty to FIFA and possible legal proceedings over the lion-and-sun flag (link)
- Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – report on the planned ban on the pre-revolutionary Iranian flag and reactions from the diaspora (link)
- WLRN / Associated Press – 2022 report on tensions surrounding Iranian symbols, pre-revolutionary flags and protest messages at the World Cup in Qatar (link)