FIFA has decided to prohibit the use of the pre-revolutionary Iranian lion-and-sun flag as well as associated clothing and effects in the stadiums during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The flag, which was used before the Islamic Revolution in 1979, is regarded by FIFA as a political symbol and will not be permitted in the arenas.

The decision comes following demands from the Iranian Football Federation, which represents the regime in Tehran. FIFA justifies the ban by stating that the regulations prohibit “political, offensive, or discriminatory” symbols in the stadiums. The same ban was enforced during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but this time stricter and more consistent enforcement is expected.

– Selective neutrality

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and is the first World Cup to be shared between three countries. The ban on the lion-and-sun flag also applies in the United States, where there is a large Iranian diaspora.

The decision has provoked considerable criticism. For Iranian opposition figures and the diaspora, the lion-and-sun flag is a symbol of Iran’s historical identity and resistance to the Islamic regime. To prohibit this symbol is regarded as active support for the regime in Tehran and an attempt to silence the struggle for a free and secular Iran.

Is the stadium owned by the public? Does this not violate the 1st amendments free speech guarantees?

Pre-Revolution Iran Flags Banned from World Cuphttps://t.co/O7EMgtJlWB

— jorgyusa17 (@jorgyusa) May 21, 2026

That FIFA simultaneously confirms that the Palestinian flag will be permitted in the stands is perceived by exile communities as the governing body of football capitulating to the global Left’s support for a terrorist regime that mercilessly kills its own population.

The Palestinian flag will only be removed in cases where it constitutes a serious security risk.