FIFA Responds to Iraq Football Federation’s Flag Request Ahead of Norway Match

The Iraq Football Federation received an unexpected response from FIFA on Tuesday regarding a request made before their opening match against Norway in the 2026 World Cup.

Sports journalist Omar Qahtan reported on social media platform X that the Iraqi federation had requested FIFA to raise the Iraqi flag during pre-match ceremonies instead of placing it on the ground, due to its inclusion of the name of God, similar to a previous arrangement with the Saudi flag.

Previous matches have seen exceptional measures, such as the game between Saudi Arabia and Uruguay, where both flags were raised during ceremonies instead of being placed on the field, out of respect for the Saudi flag which features the Shahada.

Qahtan added that FIFA informed the Iraqi federation that this practice would not be applied in future matches to maintain the quality of the pitch and avoid repeating any technical issues experienced previously.

FIFA apologized to the Iraqi federation regarding their request to elevate the Iraqi flag off the ground because it contains the name of God. The organization noted that after Saudi Arabia’s request to raise their flag, there were issues with damage to the playing surface due to pressure from flag bearers carrying wet flags.

The Iraq national team is preparing for its first World Cup appearance since 1986, with significant hopes from fans for a positive start against Norway in Group Nine.