WC 2026 ⚽ · 16 June 2026
Iran fans wave banned protest flags at World Cup
Mostafameraji via Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)
Iranian football fans smuggled banned pre-revolutionary flags into a World Cup stadium to protest their country’s oppressive regime. A Los Angeles court upheld Fifa’s ban on the Sun and Lion flag hours before kick-off, but fans still displayed them during Iran’s 2-2 draw. Iran's football authorities had threatened to halt the game, but the banned flags were displayed throughout.
Reported by The Telegraph · How we write briefs