A pitch invader who briefly interrupted the game between Portugal and Uruguay at the ongoing FIFA world cup game in Qatar have been arrested. He waved a rainbow flag on the field at the Lusail Iconic Stadium on Monday.
The pitch invader made his move 50 minutes into the contest, running at full speed before getting stopped by security and escorted off the grass.
Along with the rainbow flag, the man was wearing a Superman shirt that read “Save Ukraine” on the front and “Respect For Iranian Women” on the back.
The FIFA global television feed avoided showing the pitch invader, but the individual could be seen running on the field trailing the flag as they were pursued by security officials.
Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar, and the stunt is sure to come with serious ramifications.
Portugal won the match 2-0 thanks to two Bruno Fernandes second-half goals, a victory that ensured the European team’s qualification for the knockout stages.
The incident involving the pitch invader happened in the 51st minute of the game. Iranian referee Alireza Faghani was later seen picking the flag up off the turf.
Only last week, journalist Grant Wahl and former Wales captain Laura McAllister both said they were told by security staff to remove clothing with rainbow-coloured patterns. They said that they were detained for nearly half an hour, after World Cup guards took issue with his pro-LGBTQ shirt.
Wahl said he was released 25 minutes after being detained and received apologies from a FIFA representative and a senior member of the security team at the stadium.
After some Wales fans were also denied entry into stadiums for wearing rainbow-coloured bucket hats, the Welsh Football Association said FIFA told the federation on Thursday that rainbow-coloured flags and hats would be permitted at World Cup stadiums in Qatar.
Qatar’s LGBTQ+ laws – where sex between men is illegal and punishable by up to three years in prison in the country, has come under criticism.
A report from Human Rights Watch, published last month, documented cases as recently as September of Qatari security forces arbitrarily arresting LGBT people and subjecting them to “ill-treatment in detention.”
The spectator’s message for Iranian women’s rights also comes on the heels of Team USA’s decision to alter the country’s flag in support of the same cause, which led Iranian state media to call for FIFA to boot America from the massive sporting event.