The World Cup Is Already Banning Certain Flags From 2026 Tournament

With the World Cup set to begin on June 11, The Athletic reported that one flag has already been banned by FIFA.

According to The Athletic, fans will not be allowed to bring any pre-revolutionary Iran flags or apparel to World Cup venues this summer. The pre-revolutionary flag and the current Iranian flag share the same color scheme, but the former has a lion and the sun in the middle of it.

While it's unclear how staff members will enforce this ban, FIFA's code of conduct states that banners, flags and other paraphernalia that have "political, offensive and/or discriminatory" messaging will not be tolerated.

For what it's worth, the Palestinian flag is considered an "officially approved flag of a member association of FIFA."

Risky decision for FIFA?

There's already been a ton of debate regarding Iran's participation in the World Cup since the country is still at war with the United States and Israel. That being said, Iran's national team is set to face New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt in Group G.

As for this week's ban on Iran's pre-revolutionary flag, its' fair to say it may not go over well with the public.

"Trying to prohibit Iranians in LA from bringing the Lion and Sun flag into the stadium is like trying to prevent Americans from bringing the U.S. flag into an American stadium," Iran and US policy expert Karim Sadjadpour told The Athletic. "It would cause mass unrest."

We'll continue to provide updates on this sensitive subject.

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This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 1:48 PM.