By Rohith Nair
MIAMI, June 23 (Reuters) – Flags of countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iraq will not be placed on the ground during pre-match activities at the World Cup as they bear sacred Islamic text.
At World Cup matches across the United States, Canada and Mexico, massive flags of the two teams have been unfurled in each half of the pitch and placed on the ground as the squads line up near the centre circle for the national anthems.
However, when Saudi Arabia and Iraq play, the flags of both teams are held up over the ground, ensuring the pre-match pageantry can continue while respecting the religious significance of the Islamic inscriptions that adorn the flags.
“As part of the FIFA World Cup 2026 opening ceremony enhancements, FIFA introduced a new fan-centric presentation,” a FIFA spokesperson told Reuters.
“In delivering these ceremonies, FIFA worked closely with the participating teams to accommodate reasonable presentation requests.”
The flag of Saudi Arabia contains the Shahada, the Islamic declaration of faith, which says: “There is no god but Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”
Meanwhile, the flag of Iraq contains the phrase “Allahu akbar”, which translates to “God is Greatest.”
Muslims consider it disrespectful if the flags are placed on the ground or floor where people walk.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in MiamiEditing by Toby Davis)
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