Egypt and Iran demand FIFA cancel World Cup "Pride Match" between their teams
Egypt and Iran have urged Fifa to cancel LGBT celebrations set to take place at their group stage fixture during the 2026 World Cup to "maintain the spirit of unity and peace".
The football federations of Egypt and Iran have appealed to FIFA to cancel the planned LGBT events during the match between their national teams at the 2026 World Cup. The match is scheduled for June 26 in Seattle (USA) and was supposed to be the first "Pride Match" in the history of the World Cup.
The Egyptian federation sent a letter to FIFA Secretary General Matthias Grafström, expressing "categorical rejection" of any events supporting LGBT.
The letter reads: "In order to maintain the spirit of unity and peace, it is necessary to avoid including activities that could provoke cultural and religious sensitivities between fans present from both countries, Egypt and Iran, especially since such activities are culturally and religiously incompatible with the two countries."
Iranian Football Federation President Mehdi Taj called the move "unreasonable conduct that supports a specific group" in an interview with state television, adding that both Tehran and Cairo have communicated their objections to FIFA.
Both nations involved uphold anti-gay laws, with same-sex relationships punishable by the death penalty in Iran and homosexuality is highly stigmatised in Egypt.
Despite the protests, the local organizing committee in Seattle announced its intention to hold the event. Eric Wall, a representative of the "Pride Match" advisory committee, noted that the Egypt-Iran match "accidentally" fell on the date of the pride event and added, "LGBT people are everywhere. In Seattle, everyone can be themselves."
Earlier, the UOJ reported that the strongest woman in the world turned out to be a man.
