FIFA World Cup 2026: Seattle's 'Pride Match' Features Iran, Egypt
The situation is an early test for FIFA's US organizers following the 2022 World Cup in Qatar when rights groups raised concerns over the safety of LGBTQ+ fans.
A designated "Pride Match" at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Seattle will feature the national teams of Egypt and Iran, two countries where homosexuality is criminalized.
The local organizing committee in Seattle, one of the US host cities for the global tournament, had planned the special Group G match as a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community well before the teams were assigned to the fixture, coinciding with the city's official Pride weekend.
Following the draw and allocation over the weekend, the Group G clash between Egypt and Iran on June 26 at Lumen Field, was confirmed as the designated event.
The Seattle Pride Match branding is not "affiliated with or endorsed by FIFA", according to the organizer's website.
The situation is an early test for FIFA's US organizers following the 2022 World Cup in Qatar — another country with anti-same-sex relationship laws — when rights groups raised concerns over the safety of LGBTQ+ fans. FIFA threatened players with yellow cards if they wore the OneLove armband in support of LGBTQ+.
In Iran, the maximum punishment for homosexuality is the death penalty, while Egypt frequently uses public morality laws to suppress LGBTQ+ rights and relationships, leading to arrests and prosecution, according to Human Rights Watch.
For the US World Cup, cities have created their own organizing committees to manage the event. Seattle's organizers, SeattleFWC26, have finalized a trio of Washington state artists who have submitted designs of artwork celebrating LGBTQ+ people for display around the city during the event.
