Egypt and Iran coaches focused on football amid Pride Match debate

Story by DPA International

Egypt coach Hossam Hassan said he's focused on football when it comes to the last World Cup group stage match against Iran, which was designated by local organizers as Seattle's Pride Match.

"We are concerned with football on the pitch. We respect, once again, respect and fair play as rules for everyone to abide by and any guidelines set forth by FIFA," he said in a news conference on Thursday.

Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei had a similar answer when asked whether he had prepared his players for the possibility of rainbow flags in the stands.

"When the game starts, our entire focus is on the field and not on what's happening off it," he said.

Referring to the debate about the Pride Match, he added: "We don't want to talk about that. We just want to talk about football and what a great game it is."

The Pride Fest is taking place this weekend in Seattle. It's a large, colourful festival celebrating the LGBTQI+ community. The event focuses on diversity and equality, and the schedule includes a parade in the city centre and numerous concerts, among other things.

Local organizers decided to designate Friday's game as a Pride Match even before the draw for the group stage. Once the Egypt v Iran match-up was set, discussions quickly ensued.

Both nations don't share the values of Pride Fest and before the tournament, they protested to FIFA against the city's plan to celebrate the game as a Pride Match - to no avail.

"For us, it's all the more an opportunity to welcome people," Hedda McLendon, a member of the local organizing committee, told dpa.

"It goes beyond politics, it goes beyond religion. For us, it's really about our city, and I'm sure that people coming for the World Cup, especially in Seattle, will experience what makes this city unique."

Although FIFA is not participating in the Pride Match with its own initiatives, rainbow flags, other symbols, or even expressions of opinion that Egypt and Iran may not approve of could still be present during the match.

In a statement to The Athletic news portal, FIFA explained that it views this World Cup as an "inclusive event" and added that "rainbow flags and other flags representing sexual orientation and gender identity are permitted under the Code of Conduct for the 2026 FIFA World Cup stadiums."

Egypt top Group G with four points while Iran are second, two points behind.

Iran's FA has meanwhile also complained about media coverage at the tournament, singling out one not tournament accredited media which it said was anti-Iranian.

A statement said this "pseudo-media business" had been at the team hotel and news conferences, had put protests against the Iran team at the centre while ignoring the support of the team by fans.

"The aim was obviously to convey a distorted and misleading picture of the mood surrounding the Iranian national team," the statement said.

It said that restrictions in connection with official media work and refused visa for media department members had made "correct, direct and first hand" media operations difficult.

World Cup 2026: Iran, Egypt at odds with FIFA over 'Pride Match' symbols, festivities in Seattle

June 27-28 is Pride Weekend in Seattle, which clashes with the anti-LGBTQ laws and ideology of Iran and Egypt

Iran and Egypt are scheduled to play a World Cup group stage match at Seattle's Lumen Field on Friday in what the city has designated a "Pride Match."

This weekend, June 27-28, is Pride Weekend in Seattle to celebrate Pride Month, which honors the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) culture and community, noting their contributions and achievements.

Festivities include the Pride Parade through downtown Seattle on Sunday and PrideFest celebrations in various parts of the city, including Capitol Hill and the Seattle Center.

However, Egypt and Iran playing in the match has created friction as both countries have anti-gay laws and philosophies.

Before the World Cup draw determined which countries would be playing in Seattle, the city's host committee planned for Friday's game to be part of Pride Weekend festivities.

The Iran Football Federation has asked FIFA to prevent "ceremonies and activities" supporting the LGBTQ+ community, in addition to symbols and other representations during Friday's match, both surrounding and inside the stadium, according to The Athletic.

Last December, after the 2026 World Cup draw was announced, Egypt's soccer federation sent a letter to FIFA "categorically rejecting any activities related to supporting homosexuality during the match," the Associated Press reported.

FIFA disregarded such requests, telling The Athletic that rainbow flags would be permitted at all World Cup matches.

Yet in January, FIFA president Gianni Infantino attempted to quell any potential controversy by telling Swiss newspaper Weltwoche that the June 25 match in Seattle would have no "Pride Match" branding.

"I must clarify that there will be no 'Pride Match' at the [FIFA] World Cup," Infantino said (via The Athletic). "There will be a FIFA World Cup match in Seattle, and on the same day, events organized by external organizations will be taking place in the city. But that has nothing to do with the match itself."

FIFA issued a statement to The Athletic that the organization considers the World Cup to be an "inclusive event."

"Rainbow flags and other flags representing sexual orientation and gender identity are permitted under the FIFA World Cup 2026 Stadium Code of Conduct," the statement read. But there is no indication that any formal Pride signage or activation will be inside the stadium during Friday's match.

In Iran, homosexuality is illegal and gay men have been previously executed on sodomy charges, according to the Associated Press. Egypt does not explicitly ban same-sex relations, but LGBTQ+ people have been arrested and prosecuted based on indecency laws.