Qatar 2022 World Cup: rainbow flag pitch invasion in Lusail – Football

LUSAIL – A rainbow flag flies over Lusail. At the start of the second half of Portugal-Uruguay an invader entered the pitch, running while he was holding the symbol for LGBTQ+ rights. Not an activist demonstration – and this one say it would have made the news – but another show by a rather well-known Italian on the subject. This is Mario Ferri, known as “Falco”: also very recognizable by the Superman shirt, a characteristic element of him.

Qatar, pitch invasion with rainbow flag

The Iranian referee Faghani picked up the flag and dragged it off the field while Ferri was taken away by two security personnel. The Italian invader, who had “Save ukraine” written on his shirt and “Respect for the Iranian woman” on his back, is no stranger to World Cup raids. He had already appeared on the pitch eight years ago, during the Belgium-USA match in Salvador de Bahia. In that case he had a photographer’s accreditation. Before that, he had struck in South Africa, in 2010, even in the Germany-Spain semifinal. Now, perhaps fearing rivals, he anticipated. Bringing a political message, which however seems more like a pretext to be talked about than a real message for the war of rights.