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Who is The Falcon? Ex-soccer player runs across field holding Pride flag during FIFA World Cup game

Mario Ferri, popularly known as The Falcon, has been working in Ukraine to transport migrants to Poland to safety

LUSAIL, QATAR: Protesting Qatar's anti-LGBTQIA+ laws, a protester holding a Pride flag ran onto the field during the Portugal vs Uruguay game. The man, later identified as Mario Ferri, a former soccer player who is now a campaigner against global trotting, rushed onto the field during the second half of the group stage game while sporting a blue superman t-shirt with the words "Save Ukraine" emblazoned on the front. "Respect for Iranian woman" [sic] was also printed on the back of the t-shirt in reference to the current anti-regime demonstrations in Iran. 

Holding the Pride flag above his head, Ferri was pursued by security across the field until he was caught and escorted away. As he was being taken off the field, the referee picked up the flag that had fallen to the ground, allowing the game to resume. Some spectators reportedly applauded and cheered Ferri on as he sprinted across the field. 

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The fact that being gay is against the law in Qatar, where a seven-year prison term is possible, has caused a great deal of controversy surrounding the tournament. The use of One Love armbands during games has been disputed by a number of athletes and commentators, notably the teams from Wales and Germany. FIFA officials threatened players who wore the armband in favor of the extremely contentious hosts Qatar with "unlimited" disciplinary punishment and yellow cards. Additionally, wearing rainbow bucket hats and waving rainbow flags inside stadiums have been prohibited, Daily Mail reports. 

Who is The Falcon?

Ferri, often known as "The Falcon," is an Italian football player for United Sports Club of India's second tier. He has been working in Ukraine to transport migrants to Poland to safety. He had previously attacked soccer fields in Italy and South America while sporting his trademark Superman outfit to draw awareness for causes including "save favela children." The campaigner has a history of pitch invasions, surging onto the field at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil while wearing a "favelas" t-shirt. He was even put under house arrest in Italy for a series of pitch invasions.

In response to Putin's invasion of Ukraine, Ferri said earlier this year that he felt compelled to take action and that he personally drove a large number of refugees across the border into Poland. He told CBS Sports, "I do it on my own. I pay for everything and I want nothing back. I almost had a fight the other day because I saw a man asking money for doing what I do. It's unacceptable, people are desperate here and there are few that want to make a business out of it." He added, "I go to Lviv, look for people that need help and I drive for five, 10, 15 hours. Lviv is like a harbor for Ukrainians who want to leave the country. Outside the country [in Poland especially] is full of people that are helping, but inside Ukraine many are worried that something can happen to them."