The controversy stems from last week’s FIFA tournament draw, which selected two countries where homosexuality faces legal consequences to play in the “Pride Match.”
SEATTLE — A decision by Seattle’s local World Cup organizing committee to brand the June 26, 2026 match as a “Pride Match” has sparked formal complaints from Egypt and Iran, the two countries scheduled to compete that day at Lumen Field.
SeattleFWC26, the local committee planning for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, designated the match to align with Seattle’s Pride weekend celebrations. The branding was not created or endorsed by FIFA.
The controversy stems from last week’s FIFA tournament draw, which selected Egypt and Iran to play on the same day Seattle had already planned Pride-themed programming. Homosexuality faces severe legal consequences in both countries. In Egypt, LGBTQ people risk arrest under morality laws, while Iran considers homosexuality illegal and punishable by death.
Both nations filed objections with FIFA Tuesday, demanding Pride events be canceled and the Seattle match remain strictly a sporting event.
In a letter to FIFA, the Egyptian Football Association said the Pride Match events conflict with the region’s “cultural, religious, and social values,” warning that LGBTQ-supporting activities could “provoke sensitivities.”
Iran’s Football Association head called the Pride Match branding “irrational” and said Iran had also protested to FIFA, claiming it violates the organization’s longstanding tradition of neutrality.
Despite the international pressure, SeattleFWC26 is standing by its decision. In a statement to KING 5 on Tuesday, Vice President of Communications Hana Tadesse said the committee is “moving forward as planned with our community programming outside the stadium during Pride weekend and throughout the tournament.”
“Football has a unique power to unite people across borders, cultures, and beliefs,” Tadesse said. “The Pacific Northwest is home to one of the nation’s largest Iranian-American communities, a thriving Egyptian diaspora, and rich communities representing all nations we’re hosting in Seattle. We’re committed to ensuring all residents and visitors experience the warmth, respect, and dignity that defines our region.”
The committee’s role is to prepare the city to host matches and manage the city experience outside Seattle Stadium, partnering with LGBTQ+ leaders, artists and business owners to elevate existing Pride celebrations across Washington.
FIFA’s code of ethics requires the organization to remain neutral on political and social issues. Soccer’s governing body has not yet commented on the Pride Match controversy.
The clash highlights tensions between Seattle’s inclusive values and the cultural sensitivities of competing nations on soccer’s biggest stage.
