Dubai, December 10, 2025 – Iran and Egypt have formally complained to FIFA over the decision to brand their 2026 World Cup group-stage match in Seattle as a “Pride Match” to honour the LGBTQ+ community, sparking a growing diplomatic row more than six months before the tournament begins.
The fixture, scheduled for June 26 at Lumen Field, was designated a Pride Match long before the final draw placed the two nations together. Seattle’s local organising committee had already announced plans to celebrate the city’s large and visible LGBTQ+ community during Pride Weekend, with murals, cultural events, and community activations around the stadium.
Both Iran and Egypt criminalise homosexuality — in Iran it can carry the death penalty, while in Egypt same-sex acts are prosecuted under “debauchery” and morality laws — and officials from the two countries have reacted with fury.
Iranian Football Federation president Mehdi Taj told state television the move amounted to “unreasonable conduct that supports a specific group” and confirmed that both Tehran and Cairo had sent official objections to FIFA.
The Egyptian Football Association went further, sending a strongly worded letter to FIFA Secretary-General Mattias Grafström stating that it “completely rejects” any initiatives “related to supporting homosexuality” during the match. The letter described such events as “directly contrary to the cultural, religious and social values in the region, especially in Arab and Islamic societies” and demanded that FIFA ensure “no events or offers related to homosexual support” take place inside the stadium on match day.
Iran has argued that the designation violates FIFA’s own rules prohibiting political, religious, or ideological messaging inside stadiums and could provoke tensions among supporters.
Seattle’s organisers have stressed that the Pride celebrations are city-led, not FIFA-mandated, and will take place outside the stadium. They insist the events are about showcasing local culture and inclusivity rather than making a political statement inside the venue itself.
FIFA has so far declined to comment publicly on the complaints, but the incident has reignited debate about how the governing body balances its human-rights commitments with the cultural sensitivities of participating nations — a tension that dominated the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
LGBTQ+ rights groups have condemned the protests as unacceptable, pointing out that both countries continue to persecute sexual minorities. Meanwhile, supporters of Iran and Egypt argue that host cities should respect the values of visiting teams and fans.
With the tournament still more than six months away, pressure is mounting on FIFA to decide whether to maintain the Pride branding, relocate the fixture to another venue, or strip the match of its special designation entirely.
The clash between Iran and Egypt will be their first-ever senior international meeting and was already expected to draw massive global attention. The added layer of controversy now guarantees that the June 26 encounter in Seattle will be one of the most politically charged fixtures of the entire World Cup.
