Seattle’s World Cup Pride Match moves forward despite Iran, Egypt objections

Seattle’s World Cup Pride Match is moving forward despite objections from the soccer federations of Iran and Egypt.

The President of FIFA said the match itself is not officially tied to Seattle Pride, but rainbow flags symbolizing LGBTQ+ pride and inclusion will be permitted under the organization’s stadium policies. Additionally, drag performances and Pride-themed watch parties are set to take place across Seattle.

“This is an opportunity for the world to learn more about Seattle, to learn more about Washington, and so in many ways we’re not changing anything about how our city celebrates this monthlong celebration of Pride,” FIFA Chief Legacy Officer for Seattle Leo Flor told KIRO 7.

Both coaches for Iran and Egypt’s World Cup teams were asked about playing in the World Cup’s Pride match during a pre-game news conference.

“We are here to play football, not for other things,” Iran’s head coach Amir Ghalenoei said at the conference. “As for things that are forbidden in our religion and do not exist, we do not want to talk about them. We only talk about the match, football, and the beauty of the game.”

Both the Iranian Football Federation and Egypt’s Football Association requested that their match include no pride-related symbols, ceremonies, or promotional activities, but these requests were denied.

“Pride Match Day is more than a game,” FIFA Seattle said. “It’s a citywide celebration of visibility, belonging, and community — anchored in the FIFA World Cup 2026 and powered by the people, businesses, and neighborhoods that make Washington extraordinary.”

According to FIFA Seattle, the Pride match was planned and scheduled before Egypt and Iran were drawn as the match’s participants. Seattle host committee officials told BBC that this decision and themed match were not designed to provoke the participating nations.

Kick off between Iran and Egypt is at 8 p.m. Friday.

Iran’s pre-revolutionary flag banned by FIFA

Just before the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off, FIFA’s ban on pre-revolutionary Iran flags at the World Cup was upheld after a last-minute hearing in Los Angeles.

The flag in question features a lion and sun symbol in the flag’s center. It was disbanded in 1979 following the Islamic Revolution. While it’s been formally defunct for more than 40 years, the flag is still embraced by resistance groups as a symbol of freedom and defiance against the current regime.

FIFA banned the flag as it classified it as a political symbol under the league’s Stadium Code of Conduct.

“Free speech is incredibly important, it is sacred, a bedrock of our society, but it is not without limitation, such as private actor, on private property, and as shown by previous cases, regulating in reasonable way,” Judge Curtis A. Kin said, according to The Athletic, upholding the ban after it was challenged in court. “I deny the application.”

Egypt and Iran granted permission to travel to Seattle ahead of World Cup match

After initially being denied their request to stay and train in Seattle ahead of its World Cup match on Friday, forcing the squad to return to Spokane after earning the country’s first-ever World Cup victory, Egypt will now get two days in the Emerald City before playing Iran at Seattle Stadium.

The team, known as “The Pharaohs,” will hold a training session on Wednesday night in Seattle, according to FIFA. The change comes after team manager Ibrahim Hassan said in a statement posted to Egypt’s soccer federation website that “security authorities” rejected the team’s request to stay in Seattle following Sunday’s win over New Zealand in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The statement did not identify which security authority denied the request, and it remains unclear whether the decision was made by U.S. officials, FIFA organizers, or another entity. Egypt has been based in Spokane throughout the tournament, training at Gonzaga University.

The team’s complaint comes as thousands of Egyptian fans are expected to travel to the Seattle area for Friday’s match.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday it is easing restrictions on Iran’s World Cup team and allowing the squad to travel into the country two days before the match with Egypt.

The team will still be required to leave after Friday’s match in Seattle. A spokesperson for the Iran Football Federation confirmed that the team will leave its base camp in Tijuana, Mexico, on Wednesday for Seattle.

Contributing: KIRO 7

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