Some people attending Iran’s 2026 World Cup opener against New Zealand on Monday night were carrying or wearing anti-Iranian regime symbols, according to reports. Despite warnings from Tehran and world soccer governing body FIFA, he passed through security without incident.
The national flag, which features the lion and sun symbols, has been used for centuries, even before the 1979 revolution. Reuters reported that Iran had threatened to cancel the World Cup matches if flags or anti-government symbols were brought into the stadiums.
FIFA also banned the use of such flags at the World Cup, citing stadium regulations. The ban was upheld at a last-minute hearing in Los Angeles on Monday, The Athletic reported.
“This team is not a team of Iranian people,” Farhad Jafargad, one of the few attendees wearing a white T-shirt with a lion and sun design, told Reuters.
Other soccer fans wearing Iran’s official flag told media outlets that they had been heckled by protesters but wanted to forget about politics and focus on their team.
“We are very proud of our country,” Mehdi Jafari, 57, wearing an Iranian soccer shirt, told Reuters.
“We are here to support Iran. I think we should all let go of politics and just root for Team Melli.”
