Iran's World Cup team wore '168' lapel pins in Mexico: What this means and could FIFA ban them?

Iran's World Cup team were seen wearing jackets with lapel pins that had the number "168" written on them as they arrived in Mexico. The players wore gold-coloured pins were seen as the players got off their plane Sunday in Tijuana, Mexico. It was a tribute to the 168 children who were killed in Iran's Shajareh Tayyebeh girls' primary school in Minab when US and Israel launched joint strikes on the country on February 28. 2026. Iran's embassy in Hungary shared the image on X and wrote that it was "168 Minab breast badge" on the sports team uniform. Earlier in March, the Iranian team commemorated the victims ahead of their warmup game in Antalya, Turkey.

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What had happened in Minab?

On Feb 28, multiple missiles including US-made Tomahawk cruise missile struck the school building while classes were underway, causing the two-story structure's roof to collapse on top of the students and staff strike. The US and Israel claim that the area in which the school was located served as Revolutionary Guard base. Iran said that the attack killed almost 168 people, the majority of whom were young schoolgirls aged between 7 and 12. Intelligence reports later revealed that the school was adjacent to an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval compound. The Iranian government condemned the strike as an "unforgivable war crime."

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Previously, Iranian Diplomats in Geneva in April 2026 wore the "#168 Minab" commemorative badges on their suits during high-level United Nations and international meetings in Switzerland to keep global attention on the tragedy. During the first round of talks with the US in Pakistan, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and top negotiator MB Ghalibaf wore the same pins. Inside the aircraft in which they landed in Islamabad, the delegation left several front-row passenger seats empty, dedicating them entirely to the victims. The crew and delegates operating Iran’s official state aircraft had been specifically renamed “Minab 168.”

Can FIFA ban the players?

Reports indicate that the Laws of the Game states that player equipment—including shirts, undergarments, and accessories—must not display any political slogans, images, or statements. FIFA explicitly defines "political" to include mentions of any specific political act, event, or people living or dead. In case of Iran, FIFA has already banned fans from bringing Iran's pre-1979 Lion and Sun flag into stadiums. Till now, the Iranian team wore the “168 pins” on their travel suits while landing at the airport in Mexico. So, there has been no violation of laws. It won't be allowed on the ground according to FIFA rules.