FIFA will permit rainbow flags inside Lumen Field in Seattle when Iran plays an Egypt in their World Cup match Friday night, June 26 – so long as fans adhere to the "Stadium Code of Conduct."
A statement attributed to a FIFA spokesman read in part, “General statements of human rights, including rainbow flags and other flags representing sexual orientation and gender identity, are permitted under the FIFA World Cup 2026 Stadium Code of Conduct and may be displayed inside stadiums provided they are used in a manner consistent with the code."
The eight-page code is a general guide for fan conduct that doesn't include anything specifically about rainbow flags. There figure to be more than a few at the game that coincides with the start of Seattle Pride Weekend.
The so-called “Pride Match" features teams from two countries that treat same-sex behavior as illegal.
“What it means just by that messaging is there’s nothing written (on the flags) which could be discriminatory,’’ a FIFA spokesperson told USA TODAY Sports, adding it would be prohibited to write, “I hate Arabs,’ or Americans, or Canadians."
"There’s nothing kind of out of the ordinary here or sensationalist."
The code applies to all flags said the spokesperson, who noted that FIFA always has allowed rainbow flags – including at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
“They were allowed in Qatar. It’s just there were certain security personnel who didn’t allow them in,’’ the FIFA spokesperson said. “But our position on the rainbow flags has always been consistent in that we allow them…as long as there’s nothing discriminatory."
Source: USA Today
