Video from Tuesday’s World Cup match between Iran and New Zealand in Los Angeles shows security staff wearing official FIFA badges taking away an Israeli flag raised in the stands, while Palestinian flags remained untouched. The fan who had been holding the Israeli flag asked for an explanation, and the stewards said they were following instructions from their supervisors.
Paolo Zampolli, U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy for global partnerships, shared the footage on X on June 17, 2026. He wrote that sport should be “a bridge that unites,” said he hoped FIFA would apply the same rules to all flags, and added that “Antisemitism has no place in sports.”
The incident drew attention in the context of the tournament and the broader debate over how FIFA handles political symbols in stadiums. The article also notes related soccer stories circulating at the time, including interest in a possible Israel-Palestine match proposal and a Cape Verde goalkeeper’s social media popularity.
