The flags of Saudi Arabia and Iraq have not been laid on the ground during World Cup pre-match ceremonies because they include religious wording.
- Flags contain sacred wording: Saudi Arabia's Shahada and Iraq's Takbir, so often carried above ground.
- Letting religious text touch the ground is disrespectful in Islamic tradition, protecting sacred words rather than expressing a national insult.
- The Saudi Arabia flag must never touch ground or water and is not lowered to half-mast; both flags have dual national and religious meaning.
Giant flags of each nation are displayed on the pitch before every match. Most are laid on the ground as the teams enter the pitch and are then rolled up and taken away by volunteers.
There have been exceptions, though. Some flags have been carried above the ground and the common denominator is that these games have either featured Saudi Arabia or Iraq. Their flags are treated with stricter care and the reason lies in religious script.
Saudi Arabia’s flag carries the Shahada – the Islamic declaration of faith (“There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger”) – written above a sword.
Iraq’s flag carries the Takbir, the Arabic phrase “Allahu Akbar”, meaning “God is greatest”, a phrase Muslims use in daily prayer, at moments of celebration, and in the Islamic call to prayer.
It is shorter than the wording on Saudi Arabia’s flag, but it is the same principle – sacred religious wording rendered permanently into the national flag.
Because both flags contain words used in Islamic prayer and worship, treating them like ordinary cloth – laying them on the ground, sitting on them, using them as towels, or balling them up – is considered disrespectful in Islamic tradition.
It is not the same as objecting to a flag being burned or trampled as a national insult – it is specifically about protecting the sanctity of the words themselves. Letting religious text touch the ground or get dirty is seen as an insult to the faith, not just the country.
For Saudi Arabia, this goes further. The Saudi flag must never touch the ground or water, and is not lowered to half-mast, because doing so would be seen as lowering the Shahada itself.
For fans, players and broadcasters covering both nations, it is a reminder that these flags carry a dual meaning – national and religious – and are treated accordingly.
