London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Sep 22, 2026

FIFA allow rainbow hats and flags at Qatar World Cup stadium in U-turn

FIFA allow rainbow hats and flags at Qatar World Cup stadium in U-turn

The Football Association of Wales said venues in Qatar had been contacted and instructed to follow the agreed rules and regulations, including the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayman where The Dragons will face Iran for their second Group B match today.

FIFA has confirmed fans will be allowed to wear rainbow bucket hats and take rainbow flags into the stadium for Wales' match against Iran - after they were confiscated ahead of the side's 1-1 draw with the USA earlier this week.

The Football Association of Wales said venues in Qatar had been contacted and instructed to follow the agreed rules and regulations, including the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayman where The Dragons will face Iran for their second Group B match at 10am (UK time).

In a statement it added: "The FAW urges FIFA to adhere to their message that everybody will be welcome in Qatar during the World Cup and continue to highlight any further human rights issues.

"We remain with the belief that football is for everyone".




The agreement, specifically between FIFA and the FAW only - comes after the first week of the tournament has been marred by the governing body's handling of LGBTQ+ symbols.

FIFA has threatened to book team captains who wear a pro-inclusivity OneLove armband.

All eyes will be on the players of Wales and England to see if they follow Germany's lead and make a stand pre-match.

Germany's players covered their mouths during a team photo ahead of their 2-1 defeat against Japan to show "FIFA is silencing us" by shutting down attempts to wear rainbow-coloured OneLove armbands.

England boss Gareth Southgate has not ruled out his team making a gesture ahead of their game with the US to highlight human rights concerns, but said they will not be pressured into doing so.

That match kicks-off at 7pm at the Al Bayt stadium in Al Khor.

Seven European nations competing at the World Cup - including Germany, England and Wales - planned to wear OneLove anti-discrimination armbands during the tournament, but were dissuaded from doing so following the threat of sporting sanctions from FIFA.

Southgate said: "I think we've got to be comfortable that we know what we stand for.

"That's not to say we won't do anything moving forward if the timing's right, but I think we are rushing to be seen to be doing something, we could make an error that doesn't land well."

Rainbow bucket hats and flags should never have been confiscated from football fans in the first place, FAW chief executive Neil Mooney said.

Speaking to Sky Sports News, he said the FAW were "appalled" to hear rainbow bucket hats were being taken from supporters and staff in Qatar.

He said the FAW wrote to FIFA and pointed out that they were "promised an open and inclusive World Cup".

"Thankfully they've come back just in the last couple of hours, in writing to say that our fans can wear rainbow related clothing tomorrow, including bucket hats," he said.

"We're glad the fans can do that. It should never have been the case that they were confiscated in the first place.

"We have it in writing from FIFA that they're okay to wear whatever they wish."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Andy Burnham Reaffirms UK Net-Zero Target With £30 Million Community Energy Fund
Scottish Labour Leader Backs Rosebank and Jackdaw North Sea Projects
UK Consumer Confidence Falls to Three-Year Low
UK Diesel Prices Approach £2 a Litre as Global Supply Shortages Intensify
Chiltern Railways Returns to Public Ownership as UK Rail Nationalisation Advances
British Museum Faces Questions Over Peter Thiel’s Private Bayeux Tapestry Viewing
Earl Spencer Memoir Excerpts Renew Public Debate Over Diana’s Death
Liberal Democrats Gather in Brighton for Autumn Conference
Mothercare Shares Plunge as Middle East Store Closures Threaten Long-Term Solvency
Kent Police Treat Folkestone Hotel Fire as Suspicious
Caribbean Governments Advance Reparations Campaign Seeking Engagement With Britain
Scottish Labour Leader Backs Rosebank and Jackdaw North Sea Projects
FCA Urges Young Adults to Trace £1.5 Billion in Unclaimed Child Trust Funds
UK Competition Regulator Opens Inquiry Into McCormick-Unilever Foods Deal
Public Inquiry Into Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys Mental Health Failings Set to Begin
Nigel Farage Looks to US Immigration Enforcement Model for UK Border Policy
Chiltern Railways Moves Into Public Ownership
Security Review Raises Concerns Over Sensitive UK Police Data Stored on Microsoft Cloud
Burnham Government Warns of Difficult Autumn Budget as Fiscal Headroom Narrows
Bank of England Holds Rates at 3.75% as Inflation Rises to 3.1%
Ed Sheeran Tour Faces Backlash After Macklemore Is Removed Over Pro-Palestinian Remarks
Vandalism of Traffic Cameras Intensifies Across Parts of England
Nearly 300 Evacuated as Fire Hits Grand Burstin Hotel in Folkestone
King Charles Warns AI Executives About Risks From Uncontrolled Technology
Church of England Apologises for Role in Historical Forced Adoption Practices
UK Debate Over Online Speech Intensifies After Arrest Figures Draw Scrutiny
Oxfordshire Village Holds Symbolic Independence Vote Over Asylum Accommodation Plan
Nigel Farage and Richard Tice Sue National Crime Agency Over Alleged Banking Data Leaks
Apple Introduces Stricter Age Checks for UK Accounts
BBC Cash Reserves Fall 66% to £125 Million as Broadcaster Restructures
McLaren Announces £500 Million UK Investment and Plans 1,000 Jobs
Green Party Wins Historic Gorton and Denton By-Election as Labour Falls to Third
Burnham Government Prepares October Budget Under Growing Fiscal Pressure
UK Energy Suppliers Pull Fixed-Price Deals as Wholesale Markets Turn More Volatile
Bank of England Holds Rates at 3.75% as Middle East Energy Shock Raises Inflation Risks
Addison Lee Founder Loses £20 Million UK Tax Tribunal Case
BrewDog Creditors Face Losses on About £190 Million of Debt
Harrods Seeks to Recover Abuse Compensation Costs From Mohamed Al Fayed’s Estate
Ed Davey Targets Reform UK as Liberal Democrat Conference Opens
Great Britain Retail Sales Rise 0.5% in August
NHS England Approves Life-Extending Treatment for Incurable Breast Cancer
Proposals to Limit NHS ADHD Diagnoses Draw Criticism From Patient Groups
Resolution Foundation Warns of Housing Cost Crunch for Low-Income UK Families
BBC Cash Reserves Fall to Decade Low as Annual Deficit Reaches £121 Million
Millisecond Software Error Triggered Major UK Air Traffic Control Disruption
Twenty Women Underwent Unnecessary Mastectomies During NHS Cancer Care
Sensitive UK Police Data Found Vulnerable to Access by Foreign Actors
British Steel Faces Renewed Pressure for a Long-Term Financial Plan
MPs Urge Government to End Thames Water Restructuring Talks With U.S. Hedge Funds
Andy Burnham Warns of Difficult UK Budget Choices as Inflation Returns to 3.1%
×