FIFA caught in Iran flag row as World Cup legal battle looms

FIFA could face legal action in the United States over reported plans to stop Iranian fans from displaying the country’s pre-revolution “Lion and Sun” flag at World Cup venues across North America.

The warning was issued by the Institute for Voices of Liberty, which has formally written to football’s world governing body to challenge the alleged restriction.

The organisation’s legal representative, Shahrokh Mokhtarzadeh, said FIFA’s response would determine whether the matter proceeds to court.

According to him, legal preparations are already underway in case FIFA moves ahead with any attempt to prevent supporters from displaying the historic Iranian emblem during the tournament.

Mokhtarzadeh said FIFA had yet to respond to the letter days after it was sent, adding that the group was prepared to file a case in either California state or federal court.

Reports last week claimed that World Cup venues across North America were expected to ban the display of Iran’s pre-revolution Lion and Sun flag.

FIFA, when contacted for clarification, referred to its rules on prohibited items, which bar materials considered political, offensive or discriminatory.

However, the organisation did not state which specific rule the historic emblem would violate.

The issue has sparked strong reactions among Iranian communities abroad, especially in the United States, where many view the Lion and Sun flag as a cultural and historical symbol of Iran before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The emblem was outlawed after the revolution and replaced by the current flag of the Islamic Republic.

Iran Football Federation president Mehdi Taj had earlier said Iran’s participation in the competition would depend on the exclusion of unofficial flags, including the pre-revolutionary Lion and Sun banner.

The development has now raised fresh tension ahead of the tournament, with FIFA facing pressure from both Iranian football authorities and diaspora groups who insist the emblem should not be treated as a prohibited political symbol.