The national flag will not be allowed to touch the ground during World Cup matches. FIFA has accepted this request from Saudi Arabia. According to the rules, a massive national flag of the respective country is displayed on the field before a match begins. However, due to a special reason, Saudi Arabia had requested that their flag not be kept on the playing field. Accepting this request meant violating FIFA’s international tournament standard rules or protocol. Despite this, FIFA took the initiative to respect Saudi Arabia’s request. That is why, before the match, the country’s flag is displayed slightly raised without letting it touch the ground. This exceptional decision was made keeping cultural and religious sentiments in mind. Saudi Arabia’s national flag features the holy ‘Shahada’, which is the declaration of faith in Islam. According to the rules, letting a flag bearing a holy message touch the ground is considered highly disrespectful and equivalent to insulting the religion. To honor this sentiment, FIFA decided to keep the Saudi Arabian flag from touching the ground.
Respecting Faith: FIFA Alters Protocol to Keep Saudi Flag Raised Before World Cup Matches
