Egypt and Iran don’t want to play a “pride match” at the 2026 tournament in the US
Football officials from Egypt and Iran have protested plans to stage an LGBTQ-themed event alongside their 2026 FIFA World Cup group match in Seattle, denouncing the move as incompatible with their national values.
The match is scheduled for Friday June 26, which coincides with the start of Seattle’s Pride Weekend commemorating the 1969 Stonewall riots, considered a milestone in the US gay rights movement.
Local organizers, who operate independently of FIFA, have branded the event a “Pride Match,” promoting it as an opportunity to “make a lasting impact,” highlight LGBTQ-owned businesses, and showcase related cultural organizations. Both Egypt and Iran maintain conservative religious and social attitudes in which same-sex relations are heavily stigmatized.
Egypt’s football association said on Tuesday that it had sent a complaint to FIFA, stressing that it “categorically rejects” any pro-LGBTQ messaging linked to the match. Such initiatives, it argued, “directly contradict the cultural, religious, and social values of the region.” It called on FIFA to ensure the game is conducted “in an atmosphere of respect and focus solely on the sporting aspect.”
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Mehdi Taj, president of Iran’s football federation, told the ISNA news agency that both countries objected to what he described as “an unreasonable thing that supports a specific group,” without explicitly naming the “Pride Match” branding.
Seattle is set to host six matches during the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico. Egypt and Iran have been drawn in Group G alongside Belgium and New Zealand.
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