Iran threatened to stop its matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup if unauthorized flags are displayed or slogans against the national team are chanted in stadiums, Iranian media reported, citing Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali, after criticizing the team’s presence at the tournament.
The World Cup starts on Thursday, with Iran opening its Group G campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15. The country will next face Belgium at the same venue on June 21, before taking on Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
“We have informed FIFA that if unofficial flags are brought or slogans against the national team are chanted in the stadiums where Iran is playing in the World Cup, the team manager will certainly be responsible for stopping the match,” Donyamali said on Tuesday, according to Iranian media.
“We have been assured that there will be no disruptive incidents in the stadium during the match against Egypt.”
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The football associations of Iran and Egypt had previously urged FIFA to prevent any LGBTQ+ Pride-related activities during the match in Seattle. The competition was designated by local organizers as a “Pride Match,” coinciding with Seattle’s Pride weekend.
In April, protesters gathered outside the FIFA Congress in Vancouver called for Iran to be banned from the tournament, saying the team represents the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps rather than the Iranian people.
The Iranian team has also faced organizational challenges, with the Iranian Football Federation saying ticket allocations had been withdrawn days before the tournament, leaving supporters who had already made travel plans unable to attend their team’s matches.
The team, currently training in Tijuana, Mexico, will be able to enter the US the day before each match, the Department of Homeland Security said, amid a conflict that has added a geopolitical dimension to the tournament.
Published on June 10, 2026
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