Soccer-Iraq and Saudi Arabia flags will not be placed on ground at World Cup

The FIFA World Cup 2026 has made adjustments to pre-match flag displays to respect Islamic text on Saudi Arabia and Iraq's flags, holding them above the ground instead of placing them on the ground.

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.