FIFA World Cup: Portugal vs Uruguay stopped as fan invades with rainbow flag

The game was halted in the 51st minute due to an invader on the pitch.

Published : Nov 29, 2022 01:48 IST

A pitch invader wearing a shirt reading “Respect for Iranian woman” holds rainbow flag during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group H match between Portugal and Uruguay at Lusail Stadium on November 28, 2022 in Lusail City, Qatar.
A pitch invader wearing a shirt reading “Respect for Iranian woman” holds rainbow flag during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group H match between Portugal and Uruguay at Lusail Stadium on November 28, 2022 in Lusail City, Qatar. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
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A pitch invader wearing a shirt reading “Respect for Iranian woman” holds rainbow flag during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group H match between Portugal and Uruguay at Lusail Stadium on November 28, 2022 in Lusail City, Qatar. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

The Group H match between Portugal and Uruguay was stopped in the 51st minute as an invader entered the pitch with a rainbow flag.

The invader even dropped the flag on the field and the referee had to pick it up and remove it.

The protester was wearing a Superman t-shirt which read ‘Respect for Iranian women’ on the back and ‘Save Ukraine’ on the front.

Iran has been seeing a civil unrest since the death of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by the country’s morality police for her dress code not matching the government guidelines.

The person was subsequently stopped by the stewards on the pitch and the game resumed just seconds later.

FIFA had come under scrutiny earlier in the tournament for not letting some European team captains, including England’s Harry Kane, wear rainbow coloured armbands.

Football Associations of seven European countries - England, Wales, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland and Belgium - issued a joint statement that their captains will not be sporting the armband after FIFA said that doing so would lead to a yellow card for the player.

As a gesture of protest for this, the German team posed for its photo with hands covering their mouths before its opening game against Japan.

Qatar is a country where homosexuality is illegal, and hence FIFA had issued a set of guidelines to be followed by fans and teams during the month-long tournament.

More to follow

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