A protester holding a rainbow flag has invaded the pitch during the World Cup match between Portugal and Uruguay in Qatar.

The man ran onto the field of play during the second half of Monday’s clash carrying a rainbow flag and wearing a blue Superman T-shirt that said ‘Save Ukraine’ on the front and ‘Respect for Iranian Women’ on the back.

Security officials chased the protester down and the flag was dropped on the field before he was escorted away. 

The referee picked up the flag and left it on the touchline, where it stayed for a few moments before a worker came and collected it.

The spectator was ushered away through a tunnel. It was not immediately clear if the protester faced any charges or had been detained by police.

In the first week of the tournament in Qatar, seven European teams lost the battle to wear multi-coloured ‘One Love’ armbands – aimed at promoting diversity and inclusion – during World Cup matches.

Fans also complained they were not allowed to bring items with rainbow colours, a symbol of LGBTQI rights, into the stadiums of the conservative Islamic emirate.

Qatar’s laws against gay sex and treatment of LGBTQI people were flashpoints in the run-up to the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East. 

The Gulf state has said everyone was welcome, including LGBTQI fans, but that visitors should respect the nation’s culture.

The incident occurred during the second half of the game at Lusail Stadium, which Portugal won 2-0.