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Fan wearing rainbow armband escorted out of World Cup stadium before USA vs Iran
Fan wearing rainbow armband escorted out of World Cup stadium before USA vs Iran,Yet another incident involving a fan wearing a rainbow item of clothing occurred before the USA's 1-0 win against Iran, with Qatari officials once again defying FIFA's guidance

Fan wearing rainbow armband escorted out of World Cup stadium before USA vs Iran

A USA supporter wearing a rainbow armband was escorted out of the ground by security staff ahead of their crunch World Cup clash with Iran.

American Brian Davis had made it into the stands at the Al Thumama Stadium for their final group game, which they won 1-0 to progress to the knockout stages as runners-up in Group B.

He was proudly showing off his armband in support of the LGBTQ+ community before kick-off when he was approached by Qatari officials. Despite entering the ground with it on, he was asked to remove it.

READ MORE: England fan 'forced to strip naked by Qatari officials' after being blocked from stadium

After refusing to do so, Davis was forcibly removed from his seat and taken away by police. A video shared by Danish reporter Rasmus Tantholdt, who himself had a run in with security before the tournament got underway, showed him surrounded by staff inside the stadium.

Davis told Tantholdt: "They [the police] twisted my arm a little bit but other than that I'm fine. It was very aggressive."

A USA fan wearing a Rainbow Armband raises his arm alongside local security ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group B match between IR Iran and USA at Al Thumama Stadium on November 29, 2022
Davis was asked to remove his rainbow armband by Qatari officials (Image: Getty Images)
A USA fan wearing a Rainbow Armband is seen leaving the stadium alongside local security prior to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group B match between IR Iran and USA at Al Thumama Stadium on November 29, 2022
He was escorted out of the ground before later re-entering (Image: Getty Images)

There's been several incidents involving fans and journalists wearing rainbow clothing throughout the tournament. FIFA last week reaffirmed their stance that such items were allowed.

But that hasn't put an end to the problem as hoped. An England fan claimed to have been stripped searched while attending the Netherlands' 2-0 win against the hosts today (November 29) after turning up in a rainbow top and cap.

Davis was eventually allowed to re-enter the stadium. He posted a picture of himself back in his seat with a thumbs up to Twitter, writing: "Today was a bit eventful. But I’m ready for the game."

His night at least got better as Christian Pulisic's first-half strike was enough to see the USA through to the last 16, finishing second behind England who beat Wales 3-0.

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