World Cup
Seattle to Showcase LGBTQ+ Pride at World Cup Despite Pushback from Egypt and Iran
World Cup organisers in Seattle have confirmed that LGBTQ+ Pride events planned around the June 26 match between Egypt and Iran will proceed as scheduled, despite formal objections from football authorities in both countries, where homosexuality remains criminalised.
SeattleFWC26, the local organising committee for the 2026 World Cup, said the “Pride Match” designation was part of a broader effort to spotlight the city’s annual Pride Weekend and statewide celebrations supporting LGBTQ+ rights. The programming will take place outside the 72,000-seat Seattle Stadium, where Egypt and Iran are due to face each other.
“SeattleFWC26 is moving forward as planned with our community programming outside the stadium during Pride weekend and throughout the tournament,” said Hana Tadesse, the committee’s vice president of communications. “We don’t control what happens on the pitch or in the stadium; that’s FIFA’s domain.”
Cultural Clash Amid FIFA’s Anti-Discrimination Rules
The objections filed by the Egyptian Football Association and the Iranian Football Federation underscore longstanding tensions between FIFA’s anti-discrimination principles and its pledge to respect the cultural norms of participating nations.
The EFA said it had written to FIFA urging the body to block any Pride-related activities linked to Egypt’s match in Seattle, arguing such events conflicted with the religious and cultural values of both teams. Iranian football federation president Mehdi Taj similarly told ISNA news agency that his organisation had lodged a formal objection, calling the planned activities “an irrational move that supports a certain group.”
The Seattle organising committee clarified that the “Pride Match” branding was created long before the team draw paired Egypt with Iran, and that it functions independently of FIFA. World football’s governing body did not respond to requests for comment.
“With hundreds of thousands of visitors and billions of viewers worldwide, this is a once-in-a-lifetime moment to showcase and celebrate LGBTQIA+ communities in Washington,” SeattleFWC26 said on its website.
Pride Month and a Shifting U.S. Political Landscape
June is recognised as Pride Month across the United States, marking nationwide celebrations of LGBTQ+ identity and activism, and commemorating the June 28, 1969 Stonewall uprising — a watershed moment in the modern gay rights movement.
But the festivities come at a time of renewed political contention. Since returning to office in January, President Donald Trump has signed a series of executive orders reversing protections for transgender people, banning their service in the military, and rolling back anti-discrimination measures under a broader effort to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion programmes.
Contrasting Global Realities
The objections from Egypt and Iran also draw attention to the starkly different legal and social environments for LGBTQ+ people around the world. Amnesty International has long reported harassment and prosecutions targeting LGBTQ+ individuals in Egypt. In Iran, Human Rights Watch notes that same-sex relations are punishable by flogging and, for men, even the death penalty.
The dispute mirrors the controversy over the “OneLove” armbands at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where several European teams scrapped plans to wear anti-discrimination armbands following threats of disciplinary action.
Despite the tensions, Seattle organisers insist the Pride-related activities will go ahead — outside the stadium gates — as a celebration of diversity during the global football showpiece.
FIFA threatened yellow cards for players wearing the armbands to protest Qatar’s laws against same-sex relationships, prompting captains from seven European teams not to use them.
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World Cup
Egypt Urges FIFA to Block LGBTQ+ “Pride Match” Activities at World Cup Game with Iran in Seattle
Egypt’s Football Association (EFA) says it has written to FIFA asking the world governing body to stop any LGBTQ+ Pride-related activities planned around Egypt’s 2026 World Cup group match against Iran in Seattle.
The Group G fixture, scheduled for June 26, has been designated by Seattle’s local organisers as a “Pride Match” to coincide with the city’s annual Pride weekend. Reports suggest the plans, including celebrations and artwork around the stadium, were drafted before the World Cup draw paired Egypt with Iran—two countries where LGBTQ+ people face harsh penalties.
In a letter addressed to FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström, the Egyptian federation said it “categorically rejects any activities promoting LGBTQ during the match,” claiming such initiatives could “provoke cultural and religious sensitivities among fans.”
“These activities directly conflict with the cultural, religious and social values of the region, particularly in Arab and Islamic societies,” the EFA wrote, urging FIFA to ensure the match atmosphere “focuses solely on sport” and avoids displays that “contradict the beliefs of the participating nations.”
The federation cited FIFA statutes—particularly Article 4 on neutrality in political and social matters—and disciplinary rules requiring competitions to remain free of “manifestations that could cause tension or conflict among fans.”
The EFA also noted that the event has been organised by the local committee, not by FIFA itself. FIFA has not immediately responded to a request for comment.
Activists say LGBTQ+ people in Iran face severe punishment, including the death penalty for same-sex relations, while in Egypt morality laws are frequently used to prosecute LGBTQ+ individuals.
The issue recalls tensions at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when FIFA warned that players risked yellow cards for wearing the “OneLove” armband in support of LGBTQ+ rights, leading several European teams to drop plans to use it.
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World Cup matches at the 2026 tournament will have three-minute hydration breaks midway through each half regardless of the weather conditions, FIFA has said.
Referees will stop games 22 minutes into each half so players can rehydrate, soccer’s global governing body added in a statement.
FIFA said the new rule will streamline and simplify the previous rules, which required cooling breaks 30 minutes into each half when the temperature at kickoff exceeded 31 degrees Celsius.
“For every game, no matter where the games are played, no matter if there’s a roof, (or) temperature-wise, there will be a three-minute hydration break,” said Manolo Zubiria, the World Cup’s chief tournament officer in the United States.
“Obviously, if there’s an injury at the moment of the 20th or 21st minute and it’s ongoing, this will be addressed on the spot with the referee,” he added in a meeting with broadcasters in Washington.
Excessive heat raised concerns during this year’s Club World Cup held in the U.S., with several matches kicking off in the afternoon amid high temperatures.
A report published in September by Football for the Future, Common Goal and Jupiter Intelligence found 10 of the 16 venues for the World Cup, taking place in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, are at very high risk of extreme heat stress conditions.
“The use of hydration breaks is part of a focused attempt to ensure the best possible conditions for players, drawing upon the experiences of previous tournaments, including the recent FIFA Club World Cup,” FIFA added in Sunday’s statement.
-Reuters
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FIFA president Gianni Infantino apologised to Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni after a mix-up during Friday’s 2026 World Cup draw required the coach to wear gloves to touch the trophy. Infantino invited Scaloni to lift the Cup without gloves during a separate ceremony on Saturday.
The incident came during Friday’s draw for the tournament, set to be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, when organisers seemingly failed to recognise the World Cup-winning coach.
Scaloni, visibly taken aback, said that the officials did not know who he was.
Twenty four hours later, at an event to confirm the tournament’s schedule, Infantino aimed to make amends.
“I apologise on behalf of FIFA. I didn’t know,” he said, calling Scaloni on stage and presenting him with the trophy.
“Of course, the world champions can touch the Cup. I apologise, I didn’t know,” repeated Infantino, adding with a laugh, “What an outrage! It’s just that when you’re a world champion, you look younger every day.”
Argentina will open their 2026 World Cup campaign on June 16 against Algeria in Kansas City. They will then face Austria and Jordan.
-Reuters
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