Iranian fans again defy FIFA flag ban at Los Angeles during World Cup match

For the second straight World Cup game in Los Angeles, the pre-revolutionary Iranian flag was proudly displayed hours before kickoff. 

They fluttered above parking lots, draped across shoulders and tied around necks as makeshift capes. Some were folded neatly and tucked into back pockets as they entered the stadium.

Others were hidden beneath jackets despite the warm Southern California sun. By the time fans streamed through the gates of SoFi Stadium—renamed Los Angeles Stadium for the 2026 FIFA World Cup—on Sunday afternoon, the message was unmistakable.

Iranian supporters had no intention of leaving them behind.

Despite FIFA’s decision to ban the pre-revolutionary Iranian flag from World Cup venues, dozens of fans once again displayed the symbol during Iran’s second Group D match against Belgium, turning the governing body’s directive into little more than a suggestion.

There were hundreds of demonstrators protesting the current regime outside the stadium. Shouting for freedom and change. 

As fans entered the stadium, the Post observed numerous supporters carrying the banned flag as they approached security checkpoints. Many folded the flags into compact squares before entering, slipping them into pockets or bags. Minutes later, once inside the stadium, the same banners reappeared throughout the stands.

Some fans wore the emblem across T-shirts. Others tied the flag around their shoulders. Several unfurled large versions that stood out sharply among the officially approved Iranian flags scattered around the venue.

During the national anthem those same fans booed the playing of the current National Anthem of the Islamic Republic of Iran, entitled “Sorud-e Melli-e Jomhouri-e Eslami-e Iran.”

It felt like deja vu. 

The same scene played out during Iran’s World Cup opener against New Zealand last week, when supporters openly displayed the pre-revolutionary flag despite FIFA’s warning that political symbols would not be permitted inside tournament venues.

FIFA’s tournament code prohibits “banners, flags, fliers, apparel and other paraphernalia” deemed political, offensive or discriminatory. Tournament organizers classified the pre-revolutionary Iranian flag under those restrictions before the competition began.

Yet enforcing the ban has proven far more difficult than announcing it and nowhere is that more visible than Los Angeles. 

Home to the largest Iranian diaspora community in the United States, with an estimated 600,000 Persian Americans spread throughout Southern California and centered around Westwood’s famous “Tehrangeles” district, the city has become a focal point for demonstrations against the Iranian government throughout the World Cup.

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