When it comes to matters of Iran, it’s hard for Americans not to view the Islamic Republic through the lens of the United States.
After all, few issues have been as contentious — even among conservatives and Republicans — as the Iran conflict has been during President Donald Trump’s second term.
But if you were to separate Washington, D.C., from Tehran, it’s evident that Iran’s issues run far, far deeper than anything the United States is doing or has done to the Middle Eastern country.
Just look at what’s happening at the 2026 World Cup.
Because of the roiling tensions in Iran, FIFA, the global governing body of soccer and the sole creator, owner, and organizer of the World Cup, had issued a curious rule that Iran’s pre-revolutionary Lion and Sun flag was to be banned under the league’s stadium code of conduct, according to Politico.
The outlet also reported that a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ruled in FIFA’s favor recently, upholding the ban.
Much to FIFA and Tehran’s chagrin, both are learning that banning something is actually a very different thing from actually keeping something out of a stadium.
According to ABC News, following Iran’s Sunday match against Belgium (which ended in a draw), “at least one attendee” rushed the field and was detained. Yes, the fan was wearing a pre-revolutionary flag shirt.
And no, that fan wasn’t the only one:
Iranian World Cup soccer fans wave pre-revolutionary flag inside stadium despite FIFA ban https://t.co/qSmTyMvYbP pic.twitter.com/2jaUOKo3o7
— New York Post (@nypost) June 16, 2026
I was at the Iran vs Belgium World Cup match and saw with my own eyes so many Iranians waving the Lion and Sun flags. Why is FIFA cooperating with the Islamic Republic, censoring our flags, and working for this terrorist regime to hide the truth from the media? They can’t just… pic.twitter.com/WkyF39Ykj5
— Mooné Rahimi (@hiitsmemooneh) June 23, 2026
Tempers were clearly flaring, as ABC News reported that there had also been scuffles and fisticuffs between Iranian protesters and counter-protesters.
But even if FIFA were to somehow successfully remove these pre-revolutionary flags from existence, Iranian soccer fans who oppose the current regime have no shortage of ways to get their point across.
As the U.K.’s Independent reported, that same game against Belgium was also preceded by a different event that Tehran would probably frown (or worse) on.
During the ceremonial pre-match renditions of the competing countries’ respective national anthems, there were loud and audible boos pouring out when the Iranian national anthem began to play. And that wasn’t the first time.
Similar boos rained down before Iran’s earlier match against New Zealand (which also ended in a draw).
A group of spectators booed the Islamic Republic’s anthem before the Iran-Belgium match at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, exclusive images obtained by Iran International showed. pic.twitter.com/TktE9jHq1y
— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) June 21, 2026
And yes, this disdain for the current Iranian regime is trickling onto the players.
“It’s a government team,” one fan — sporting a pre-revolutionary flag — told Politico. “This is bittersweet. It’s the first time that Iran has a chance of making it out of the group stage, because last time they were in the Group of Death. But it’s like: how happy can you really be?”
Iran is still very much alive in the World Cup, with a critical group play match against Egypt slated for Friday.
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