Iran asks FIFA to ban Pride flags at its World Cup matches

Iran’s football federation has shared a list of conditions with FIFA surrounding the country’s participation in the upcoming 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico, including a ban on LGBTQ+ pride flags.

The Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) told FIFA that it would compete in the competition “without any retreat from our beliefs, culture and convictions” and insisted that the hosts “must take our concerns into account”, according to Out Sports.

The list of 10 demands for Iran’s participation comes after the FFIRI’s president, Mehdi Taj, was denied entry to Canada before the FIFA Congress in Vancouver in April.

One of the demands made by the FFIRI was that only officially recognised flags should be displayed while Iran is playing, including those being carried by fans in the stadium. That would mean that LGBTQ+ Pride flags would be banned from the matches.

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