Flag caught on broadcast feed and stadium screen during Tunisia match; Seo Kyoung-duk calls on FIFA to prevent recurrence

Japan supporters cheer during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group F match against Tunisia at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico, on Sunday. [AFP]
Japan supporters cheer during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group F match against Tunisia at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico, on Sunday. [AFP]

Japanese supporters displayed the rising sun flag inside the stadium during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group F match between Japan and Tunisia at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico, on Sunday, stirring controversy.

Seo Kyoung-duk, a professor at Sungshin Women's University, said the flag was captured on the broadcast feed and also appeared on the stadium's large screen. The match drew particular global attention as the 1,000th game in FIFA World Cup history, counting from the season opener at the 1930 Uruguay World Cup. No rising sun flag had been spotted inside the stadium during Japan's first group-stage match, though its use at street viewing events in Japan had already sparked controversy.

The rising sun flag was used by Japan during its invasions of Asian nations, including during the Pacific War, and is widely regarded as a symbol of Japanese militarism and imperialism. Seo said using the flag as a cheering prop at the World Cup was deeply inappropriate and could evoke memories of wartime fear among Asian football fans.

Seo also said that during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, security personnel had immediately intervened when Japanese supporters brought the rising sun flag into a stadium. He said he plans to formally report the latest incident to FIFA before Japan's third group-stage match begins, and will request that the organization ban the flag from stadiums and establish measures to prevent a recurrence.


hwshin@heraldcorp.com