FIFA Defeats Emergency Restraining Order Application Seeking to Enjoin FIFA World Cup 2026™ Prohibited Items Stadium Policy

As reported in The Athletic and elsewhere, Paul, Weiss secured a resounding victory, successfully opposing an emergency ex parte application for a temporary restraining order (TRO) against FIFA and FWC2026 US, Inc., the legal entity that is operating the FIFA World Cup 2026™ in the United States, over its prohibited items stadium policy. 

A group of individuals who sought to bring the pre-Iranian Revolution Lion and Sun flag into the Los Angeles Stadium during FIFA World Cup matches asserted that the prohibited items policy, which for safety and security reasons does not permit fans to bring flags or other paraphernalia containing political symbols, violated their right to free speech under the California Constitution. On Friday, June 12, the plaintiffs gave notice to our clients of an emergency hearing the following Monday, in advance of Iran’s match against New Zealand scheduled to take place Monday evening.

Preparing our filings quickly over the weekend, we argued that there were procedural defects in the plaintiffs’ application; that the plaintiffs lacked standing because they had not offered proof that they had actually purchased tickets to any World Cup match; and that, in any event, FIFA’s policy was appropriate and did not violate the California Constitution.

Judge Curtis Kin in the Los Angeles Superior Court found decisively in our favor, orally issuing a thorough opinion that adopted each of our arguments. Judge Kin also credited our arguments that the plaintiffs’ “emergency” application was based upon an urgency of their own making given that the plaintiffs had known about the prohibited items policy and the dates of the matches for the Iranian football team for months; and that a TRO on the day of the match would cause tremendous hardship on stadium operations.

Litigation partner Christopher Boehning argued on behalf of FWC2026 US. The Paul, Weiss team also included litigation partners Daniel Levi, Jonathan Tam and William Marks, and counsel Marc Price Wolf.