[82373] Tension surrounding the Iranian national team at the World Cup: Demands to take action against protest flags

Political tension surrounding the Iranian national team at the 2026 World Cup

During the Iranian national team's preparations for the World Cup tournament, the chairman of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, addressed a number of sensitive issues. According to Varzesh3 and Akhbar-e Fori, Taj criticized the US administration, claiming it is not adhering to "FIFA protocols" regarding the waving of official flags in stadiums. According to him, Iran has demanded that FIFA ensure that only the flag of the Islamic Republic is displayed during the team's matches.

Iran International, a media outlet identified with the Islamic Republic's opposition, reports that Taj's remarks come against the backdrop of attempts by Iranian exiles in the US to bring the "Shir-o-Khorshid" flag (the Lion and Sun flag) into stadiums as a symbol of protest. According to their report, Iranian fans have already succeeded in bringing the aforementioned flag into the "Levey's" stadium in California during a match between other teams.

At the same time, Taj responded to questions from foreign media outlets, including The New York Times, regarding a special emblem on his shirt called "Minab 168". According to the IRNA news agency and Akharin Khabar, Taj explained that the emblem is intended to commemorate 168 children who he claims were killed in a bombing while at school. He emphasized that the team's "message" is to participate in the World Cup under the name "Minab 168" in order to honor their memory, and specifically mentioned a child named Makan Nasiri.

In concluding his remarks, Taj thanked the president and the people of Mexico for their cooperation in hosting the team's training, and indirectly criticized the US, which he called "another host" of the tournament, claiming that it did not strictly follow international protocols as would have been expected according to reports by Akharin Khabar Varzeshi.