FIFA will ban supporters from displaying Iran’s pre-1979 Lion and Sun flag at stadiums during the upcoming World Cup , a move likely to spark criticism among parts of the Iranian diaspora and opposition groups who use the symbol in protest against the Islamic Republic.
The flag, which represented Iran between 1907 and 1979, features a lion and sun emblem at its centre. Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, it was replaced by the current state flag bearing the emblem of the Islamic Republic and the Arabic-language Takbir along the borders.
Since then, the pre-Revolution flag has largely become a political symbol used by opposition activists, anti-government demonstrators, and some exiled Iranians.
The symbol gained renewed prominence during the nationwide protests that erupted in Iran in late 2022 following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody.
More recently, it has also appeared at rallies supporting the Israeli and US military assault on Iran, which began in February.
The World Cup will be jointly hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico between June and July this summer. Iran are scheduled to play their opening matches against New Zealand and Belgium at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on 15 and 21 June.
California, particularly the Los Angeles metropolitan area, is home to one of the world's largest Iranian diaspora communities, where the pre-Revolution flag is commonly displayed at opposition gatherings and political demonstrations.
Iran's participation in the tournament has also been overshadowed by the ongoing conflict involving the US and Israel. US President Donald Trump has issued mixed messages about the Iranian team’s presence in the country, at times saying they would be "welcome", while elsewhere suggesting concerns over their "life and safety".
During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, some fans brought the pre-Revolution flag into stadiums, while others reported being prevented from entering venues with it.
FIFA has repeatedly defended such restrictions under its regulations banning "political, religious, as well as ethnic symbols, slogans and messages", arguing that football must remain politically neutral. So which other symbols has FIFA banned? The governing body has previously taken action against a range of political symbols and gestures.
Before 2017, FIFA banned players and supporters from displaying the poppy symbol commemorating Armistice Day in the United Kingdom, arguing it constituted a political emblem.
The football associations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland defied the ban in 2016 and were fined, prompting backlash from British politicians including then-Prime Minister Theresa May.
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar , FIFA threatened sanctions against players wearing the "OneLove" armband in support of LGBTQ rights, leading Germany’s national team to stage a silent protest by covering their mouths during the pre-match team photo.
In 2018, FIFA also fined Swiss internationals Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka after they made the double-headed eagle gesture associated with Albanian nationalism during a match against Serbia.
The players, who are of Kosovar-Albanian heritage, were widely seen as making a political statement linked to Serbia’s refusal to recognise Kosovo as an independent state.
While not always directly enforced by FIFA itself, football governing bodies linked to the organisation have also punished displays of flags and political symbols.
In protest against Israel's war on Gaza , supporters of Celtic F.C. displayed Palestinian flags during a Champions League match against Atlético Madrid in November 2023.
UEFA later fined the club £15,200 ($20,450), describing the flags as "provocative messages of an offensive nature".