Iran objects to ‘Pride Match’ branding of World Cup soccer game against Egypt

Iranian Football Federation chief denounces as ‘irrational’ plan by host city Seattle to dedicate June 2026 match in support of the LGBTQ community; Egyptians also unhappy

By AFP 9 December 2025, 2:12 pm

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Iranian players pose for a photo ahead of a friendly soccer match between Russia and Iran at Volgograd Arena in Volgograd, Russia, October 10, 2025. (AP)

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s soccer chief said Tuesday that Tehran objected to the “irrational” branding of its World Cup match against Egypt, which local organizers in the US have suggested will be held in support of the LGBTQ community.

The organizing committee in Seattle, Washington, where the match is scheduled to take place next year, had previously announced its intention to hold a “Pride Match” coinciding with the northwestern city’s Pride Weekend in late June.

Following last week’s FIFA tournament draw, Egypt and Iran are now slated to face off in Seattle on June 26, the Friday before Pride Weekend.

The head of Iran’s Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, was quoted by local news agency ISNA as saying that Tehran and Cairo had both raised “objections against the issue,” which he labeled an “irrational move that supports a certain group.”

Taj did not mention the specific branding of the fixture.

On Monday, Iranian state television said Tehran would “appeal” to FIFA over the matter.

Homosexuality is illegal in Iran under Islamic law and can be punishable by death.

President of the Iranian Football Federation Mehdi Taj speaks during a ceremony in which the new jersey to be used by the Iranian national football team in FIFA 2022 Qatar World Cup was unveiled, at Milad Tower in Tehran, on November 8, 2022. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)

Egypt’s Football Association has voiced similar objections, according to Egyptian local media outlets citing unnamed sources.

In Egypt, homosexuality is not expressly outlawed, but is often punished under loosely worded laws prohibiting “debauchery.”

The 2026 World Cup will mark Iran’s seventh participation in the tournament, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Iran and the United States have had no diplomatic relations since 1980, following a hostage crisis in the wake of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iran had initially opted out of Friday’s draw to protest the US refusal to grant visas to several members of its delegation but eventually reversed the decision.

On Tuesday, Taj said some Iranian players might face visa problems over their service in the Iranian military, which includes the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) — designated a “terrorist organization” by the US in 2019.

“For the World Cup, we must work on having replacement options, and we have already started that,” he said.