The pre-match build-up at this World Cup introduces a small shift, with both teams gathered in full around the centre circle for the national anthems, framed by oversized projections of their respective flags. A strong visual presence, even for the cameras, the emblems stretched across the pitch.
All except two. For Saudi Arabia and Iraq, hundreds of staff are needed simply to keep the flags raised — and, for reasons of protocol and visual consistency, the same approach has been adopted and will continue to be adopted for their opponents, so far Uruguay and Norway.
The explanation, as reported by El Mundo, sits in a delicate diplomatic-religious detail. The Qur’an underpins the civil frameworks of both countries, and their flags contain elements considered sacred within the text. The Saudi flag carries the Shahada, the first pillar of Islam and a central declaration of faith. The Iraqi flag, in its central band, features the Takbir, the Arabic-Islamic expression translated as “Allahu Akbar” — God is greatest.
In both cases, strict and solemn rules govern the display of these inscriptions: they must not touch the ground. The point at which institutional complications might have arisen, had FIFA not been alerted by the national federations. The solution, designed to preserve the ceremony without altering it, is a human chain holding the flags aloft — not unlike the suspended presentation of the Champions League ball.
A marginal adjustment in practice, barely noticeable to most of the audience. Especially with the simultaneous elevation of the opposing flags — now Spain and France — keeping the visual frame broadly intact. What remains is the scale of the operation: the number of people involved in staging the adjustment. Still, within the context of a World Cup, even holding a flag like this carries a certain quiet privilege.