The LGBTQ+ community is to take center stage at the World Cup clash between Iran and Egypt in Seattle. Unthinkable for Tehran, as the match falls during an Islamic month of mourning.
25.12.2025, 11:08
25.12.2025, 11:37
SDA
Iran wants to prevent the Pride Match from taking place during the World Cup in the USA. "We have no interest whatsoever in our third World Cup match being played in the colors of the rainbow. We want to prevent this at all costs and will do so", said Iran's association president Mehdi Tadsch, as reported by the daily newspaper "Hammihan".
He added that the match against Egypt on June 26 in Seattle would clash with the Islamic month of mourning "Muharram" - the holy day of remembrance in Iran for the third Shiite Imam Hussein. Under these circumstances, such an event at the same time as "Muharram" would be unthinkable for Iran, said the association president.
Homosexuality a sin in Iran
In Islamic Iran, homosexuality is considered a sin and can be punished with severe penalties including the death penalty. Tehran sees the plans of the World Cup organizers in Seattle to hold the games under the banner of the LGBTQ+ community as an insult to Islamic values and sanctity.
However, football experts in the country doubt that Iran will cancel the match because of the LGBTQ+ celebrations. The team will face Egypt, Belgium and New Zealand in Group G and will be hoping to make it through the preliminary round for the first time in their World Cup history, partly due to the additional round of 16 matches.
Seattle wants to host Pride game
Egypt's football association also sent a letter to FIFA protesting against the Pride Match. In Egypt, there are criminal offenses "for the protection of morals or religion", according to which homosexuality can also be punished, for example in laws on prostitution or general customs. The plans for the Pride Match had already been made before the two teams were decided on June 26, 2026. The World Cup organizers announced that they wanted to stick with it.
The Democratic-liberal US city of Seattle will celebrate the LGBTQ+ community on the last weekend of June 2026. The abbreviation LGBTQI+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and intersex people - and the plus sign and asterisk are placeholders for other identities and genders.
