Officials in Egypt and Iran are protesting the scheduling of their FIFA World Cup match next June in Seattle, where local organizers planned Pride-related events for that weekend.
Both countries are culturally conservative. In Iran, same-sex sexual activity can be punishable by death, and other expressions of gender and sexuality may lead to imprisonment or flogging. In Egypt, morality laws effectively criminalize same-sex relationships, and human rights groups have documented arrests and police harassment of people suspected of being gay.
The Egyptian Football Association said Tuesday it “categorically rejects the holding of any activities related to supporting homosexuality” during the June 26 match and has sent a formal letter to FIFA asking the organization to act to “avoid including activities that could provoke cultural and religious sensitivities” among fans at the Seattle game.
Iranian officials also objected. Mehdi Taj, president of the Iran Football Federation, said on state TV that Iran had protested and that it was “an unreasonable and illogical thing [for a match between the two teams] to support a specific group.” Iran’s sports minister, Ahmad Donyamali, said Iran had complained directly to FIFA. FIFA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
SeattleFWC26, the local organizing group, said it will “move forward as planned with our community programming outside the stadium during Pride weekend and throughout the tournament.” Spokesperson Hana Tadesse told NPR that the Pacific Northwest is home to large Iranian-American and Egyptian communities and that organizers are committed to ensuring all residents and visitors experience “warmth, respect, and dignity.”
FIFA runs the World Cup matches themselves, but local host groups organize events outside stadiums and coordinate with local officials and businesses. Organizers expect more than 750,000 visitors in Seattle during the tournament. The June 26 game falls on the city’s annual Pride festival weekend, when a Pride parade will march from downtown to the Seattle Center. SeattleFWC26 has said hosting a match on Pride weekend is “a rare opportunity to make a lasting impact.” Another Seattle match on June 19 — the U.S. vs. Australia — will include Juneteenth festivities.
Plans for the 2026 World Cup and its match dates were set years ago, but which teams would play each game was not known until FIFA’s recent draw. That draw placed Iran and Egypt in the June 26 Seattle match; New Zealand and Belgium are scheduled to play that same day in nearby Vancouver. Belgium and New Zealand are among countries where same-sex marriage is legal. FIFA did not say whether the two games could be swapped.
The dispute echoes controversies at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal and clashes arose over protests and rainbow armbands. European teams that planned for captains to wear rainbow armbands ultimately backed down after FIFA warned of disciplinary action, and some fans reported being asked to remove rainbow clothing before entering stadiums. FIFA’s response at the time was criticized as slow.