The football teams of Egypt and Iran will play at the 2026 World Cup in a match that has already received the informal name “pride match.” Because it will be dedicated to supporting the rights of the LGBTQ+ community.
The initiative belongs to the organizing committee of Seattle, one of the cities hosting the FIFA World Cup in Canada, the USA and Mexico. This decision was announced before the draw, and the composition of the participants in the game became known only after the distribution of groups, which took place last week in Washington in the presence of President Donald Trump.
First of all, let us clarify that LGBTQ+ is an acronym in which L is for lesbians, G is for gays, B is for bisexuals, T is for transgender people, K is for queer (term for those who do not fit into traditional ideas of sexuality or gender), and the + sign is added to include other identities and orientations, including intersex people, asexuals, pansexuals, and non-binary people.
It is important to clarify that Seattle is a key LGBTQ+ hub, known for its strong community infrastructure, strong political support, annual large Pride Parade, and a high proportion of LGBTQ+ residents who make up about 17 percent of the population of the Puget Sound region, Washington State’s largest metropolitan area, which includes Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Bellevue, Everett, and dozens of suburbs. For the American progressive community, Seattle has become a symbol of legislative and cultural initiatives in the field of equality, so the designation of one of the World Cup matches as a thematic event in support of LGBT+ was perceived as a logical step.
However, political and cultural irony intervened in the draw: on June 26, Iran and Egypt will play in Seattle – two countries where same-sex relationships are prohibited and homosexuality is officially condemned.
Iran are known to be in Group G, where they will play Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand. But it was the match in Seattle that became the subject of a major international scandal.
President of the Iranian Football Federation Mehdi Taj, in an interview with ISNA, called the decision of the organizing committee “irrational” and said that it benefits “certain forces.”. He avoided the term “pride match”, but emphasized that Iran and Egypt oppose such an initiative. Taj promised to send a formal protest to the International Football Federation.
Let us recall that Iranian legislation is based on Sharia law, which prohibits, in particular, same-sex relationships, which are punishable up to the death penalty. The scandalous statement of former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, made at Columbia University in 2007, remains indicative: “There is no homosexuality in Iran.” At the time, this phrase caused laughter from the audience, but nevertheless it reflects the official policy of ignoring the existence of the LGBT community against the backdrop of systematic cases of violence and discrimination.
At the same time, sex reassignment operations are allowed and even state-funded in Iran – a paradox that has long been the object of international criticism.
Egypt’s position, according to local media reports, is similar: although homosexuality is not formally prohibited in the country, criminal prosecution is often carried out under vague rules about “moral violations.”
The upcoming championship will be Iran’s seventh participation in the world football championship. But it is the political context of the game in Seattle that makes the upcoming match with Egypt one of the most discussed.
Iranian political scientist Farshid Bagherian, in a commentary for haqqin.az, emphasized that Seattle is a city dominated by Democrats, and the decision to devote the match to LGBTQ+ rights is not only a symbolic gesture, but also a political attack against Iran, Egypt and Donald Trump personally, known for his criticism of the rights of the LGBT community.
According to the political scientist, both Egypt and Iran find themselves in a difficult situation, since same-sex relationships are a crime in their countries.
“On the surface, it looks like the match in Seattle will become an action in defense of LGBT rights in Iran and Egypt,” the expert believes. Bagherian suggests that FIFA is likely to reject Iran’s complaint under the traditional pretext of “sport is not politics.” And then Tehran, in his opinion, will have two options left – either refuse to participate in the match, risking defeat and disqualification, or still enter the field, which, according to Bagherian, will be the most likely outcome.
The interlocutor of haqqin.az recalled that Iran got a ticket to the World Cup with great difficulty, including due to problems with American visas for members of the delegation. Before the start of the World Cup, the authorities in Tehran, according to Bagherian, will take steps to try to change or soften the decision on the ideological theme of the match, but success is unlikely.
As for Egypt, Cairo, the political scientist believes, will not complicate the situation with principled objections and will, in any case, take part in the game.
According to Bagherian, if Iran’s rival was a country where same-sex relationships are not considered a crime, for example Italy or Australia, then Tehran’s reaction might not have followed. But the fact that Iran will be playing Egypt, where homosexuality is also punishable by law, has become an additional trigger, increasing political tension around the upcoming match.
