World Cup protester run on field with rainbow flag, ‘Save Ukraine’ shirt

A protester ran onto the field at Lusail Stadium during the second half of the match between Portugal vs. Uruguay with several messages to get across to the World Cup crowd in Qatar.

The protester carried a rainbow flag while wearing a blue shirt with the Superman logo with “Save Ukraine” on the front and “Respect For Iranian Women” on the back.

Security caught and escorted the protester off the field. It is unclear if he faces any charges or if police became involved.

The rainbow flag was left on the field and picked up by a referee.

Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes, who scored both goals in the 2-0 win, said he initially thought the protester was trying to take a picture with teammate Cristiano Ronaldo.

“To be honest I didn’t really see what was the message that was trying to be conveyed,” Fernandes said through a translator. “But we’ve already spoken about that many times. … We respect all human rights but those are political issues where we unfortunately don’t really have much strength, where we can’t really change anything.”

LGBTQ rights in Qatar were a serious issue when it became the first Middle East country to host a World Cup. Officials said everyone — including LGBTQ fans — are welcome at the tournament, but asked visitors to respect the local culture.

The host country also has stringent laws against protest, journalism, and breaking of their customs. The Athletic reported in June that protesters could face up to five years in prison for broad terms like “stirring up public opinion.”

This is not the first attempt at protesting against Qatar’s anti-homosexuality laws during the World Cup. Notably, German players battled FIFA over their OneLove rainbow-colored wristbands, as well as the United States soccer team implementing the rainbow colors on their crest.