An Israeli-flag-waving spectator says he was ordered to take down his flag during the Iran, New Zealand match at the 2026 World Cup, then never got it back. The game ended 2,2, and the incident, which he described to Fox, involved FIFA security at a stadium he said held 100,000 people.
The fan said he and his companions had been watching quietly and were treated well by most people around them. He said trouble began near halftime, when security approached and told him to remove the flag. According to him, the guards said FIFA president Gianni Infantino and his team had pointed him out and that his flag needed to be confiscated.
He said the same standard was not applied to other flags in the stadium. He reported seeing flags from Lebanon, Iran, Mexico and Palestine, and said that when he asked why only his flag was targeted, he was told FIFA leadership did not care about the others and only cared about the Israeli flag. He called the situation embarrassing, discriminatory and a double standard.
A video posted on social media shows security approaching him, with one guard saying, “I am informing you that I was asked to tell you to remove the flag.” The fan replied, “It seems a bit of antisemitism is playing a role here. When you remove the Palestinian flag, I will remove mine.”
