Iran has vowed to prevent its World Cup match against Egypt next June from being designated as a “Pride Match” celebrating the LGBTQ+ movement.
The match is scheduled for 26 June in Seattle as part of the group stage phase, the same group Belgium plays in.
“We have absolutely no interest in playing our third World Cup match under the rainbow colours. We are determined to stop it and we will succeed, ”Mehdi Taj, President of Iran’s football federation said to the local Hammihan newspaper.
Seattle’s organising committee had announced around ten days ago that the LGBTQ+ Pride celebrations linked to the “Pride Match” would proceed, despite protests from both Iran and Egypt.
In Iran, the “Pride Match” is perceived as conflicting with its Islamic values. The country consider homosexuality a sin punishable potentially by death.
Egypt also opposes branding the game as a “Pride Match,” stating in a letter to FIFA that such activities “directly contradict the cultural, religious, and social values of the region, particularly in Arab and Islamic societies.”
Plans to designate the game as a “Pride Match” were made prior to the World Cup draw on 5 December in Washington.
The match is set to mark the beginning of Seattle’s annual “Pride Weekend” in conjunction with FIFA World Cup 2026 festivities.
While FIFA oversees official stadium operations and fan zones in host cities for the tournament, it does not have authority over locally organised activities.
