August 21, 2025 | 07:40 am
The Major League Soccer (MLS) has allowed the display of the Palestinian flag at Columbus Crew home games in support of their new signing, Wessam Abou Ali. However, the league's overall ban remains in place, the New York Times reported on Thursday, August 21, 2025.
Ali is a player of Palestinian descent. He previously represented Denmark, his country of birth, up to the U-20 level before switching to the Palestine national team in March 2024, scoring four goals in 10 appearances.
The 26-year-old striker became the Crew's first major signing this summer. His arrival was prompted by a request from the club's main supporters' group, Nordecke, to display a relevant national flag in support of their players.
Previously, the Major League Soccer (MLS) allowed fans to display any national flag. However, in October 2023, following the outbreak of the Israeli-Palestinian war, the league introduced a new policy prohibiting the display of national flags in certain stadiums.
Fans can request exceptions to this policy, and clubs can forward these requests to the league.
Some flags, such as those of Mexico or Colombia, are frequently present in stadiums. However, Israeli or Palestinian flags are almost never displayed, with the exception of one case in Philadelphia, where Philadelphia Union fans were allowed to display Israeli flags in support of striker Tai Baribo.
The MLS strives to limit what it considers political displays at matches.
The league's Supporter Code of Conduct prohibits the display of signs, symbols, or images for commercial or political campaign purposes, in support of or opposition to candidates, political parties, legislative issues, or government measures.
After a request from the Crew on behalf of the Nordecke supporters' group that fans be allowed to display the national flags of all their players, the MLS approved the display of one flag representing each nationality on the squad, including Palestine, in a designated area of Lower.com Field.
In addition to the Palestinian flag, other national flags permitted to be displayed are Algeria, Argentina, Canada, Cape Verde, Denmark, Finland, France, Ghana, Guatemala, Hungary, Liberia, Nigeria, Ukraine, the United States, and Uruguay.
However, the league will not allow fans to bring their own Palestinian flags into the stadium. Those flags will be provided and displayed by the clubs. The proposal will be discussed Thursday at its regular meeting.
Abou Ali played for AaB, Silkeborg, and Vendsyssel in Denmark, as well as IK Sirius in Sweden, before moving to Egyptian club Al Ahly in January 2024. There, he scored 38 goals in 59 appearances, including a hat-trick in a 4-4 draw against FC Porto in the Club World Cup.
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