In the 51st minute of the Portugal-Uruguay matchup at the FIFA World Cup on Monday, a man toting a rainbow flag ran onto the pitch, bringing the game to a temporary halt. The man was wearing a Superman shirt with the words âSave Ukraineâ emblazoned on the front and âRespect for Iranian Womanâ on the back. The FIFA global television feed of the game at Lusail Iconic Stadium in Qatar did not capture the moment, but crowd membersâ pictures and footage of him running, with security officials in hot pursuit, quickly flooded social media. The man was escorted off the field, with an Iranian referee, Alireza Faghani, eventually retrieving the dropped flag. The match resumed, and Portugal went on to win 2-0. With tensions flaring over Qatarâs restrictive stance on LGBTQ+ rights, some ticketholders and members of the media have reported having their rainbow-colored accessories confiscated, including, in recent days, an American journalist and Laura McAllister, a former captain for Wales.
