US Soccer social media post that depicted a modified Iranian flag triggered a furore ahead of a critical Group B match.
Doha, Qatar – Iranian and American football fans in Doha have criticised a US Soccer social media post that depicted a modified Iranian flag and triggered a furore ahead of a crucial World Cup match between the two sides.
The row erupted on Saturday after the US Soccer Federation posted a graphic of the Iran flag without the word “Allah” written on it on its social media feeds. The Iranian Football Federation condemned the move and lodged a protest with the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), demanding sanctions against the United States team.
By Sunday afternoon, the standard flag with the emblem had been restored on US Soccer’s Twitter banner, and the Facebook and Instagram posts with the altered flag had been removed.
US Soccer said the post was a show of solidarity with the “women in Iran fighting for basic human rights” in the wake of the death of 22-year-old Iranian woman Mahsa Amini in police custody. “We wanted to show our support for the women in Iran with our graphic for 24 hours,” the federation said.
Source: aljazeera.com
Friday, April 24, 2026
