Officials from Egypt and Iran have protested the scheduling of their FIFA World Cup match in Seattle next June, saying the game should not coincide with local Pride celebrations planned for that weekend.
The June 26 match was assigned to Egypt and Iran after FIFA’s recent draw. Local organizers in Seattle had planned community programming outside the stadium during Pride weekend; the city’s Pride parade and large festival at Seattle Center fall on the same weekend. SeattleFWC26, the local organizing group, says it will proceed with the planned Pride events and other community programming throughout the tournament, emphasizing inclusion and accessibility. Organizers also note the region’s large Iranian-American and Egyptian communities and say they aim to treat all visitors and residents with respect and dignity.
Both countries are socially conservative and enforce strict laws and penalties related to LGBTQ people. In Iran, same-sex sexual activity can be punishable by death and other expressions of gender or sexuality may be subject to imprisonment or corporal punishment. In Egypt, morality laws and reported police actions have resulted in arrests and harassment of suspected gay people. The Egyptian Football Association issued a statement rejecting “the holding of any activities related to supporting homosexuality” during the match and formally asked FIFA to prevent activities that might provoke cultural or religious sensitivities. Iran’s football federation president Mehdi Taj said Iran had protested on state television, calling it unreasonable to use the match to support a specific group; Iran’s sports minister said Tehran also complained directly to FIFA. FIFA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Seattle’s organizers have framed hosting matches during Pride and Juneteenth as opportunities to demonstrate the city’s values; another Seattle match on June 19 — the U.S. vs. Australia — was noted to coincide with Juneteenth festivities. More than 750,000 visitors are expected in Seattle for the World Cup, organizers say.
The dispute echoes controversies from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where clashes over LGBTQ symbols and protests drew significant attention. European teams had planned to wear rainbow armbands in 2022 but withdrew amid FIFA warnings, and some fans and journalists reported being asked to remove rainbow items at stadiums. Observers criticized FIFA for acting slowly in response to those issues.