FIFA to allow rainbow flags at Egypt v Iran World Cup clash | Football | Sport
The match in Seattle – set to kick off at 4am UK time on Saturday, June 27 – has been branded the “Pride Match” by the city’s local organising committee.
The Group G game was chosen as the “Pride Match” before the draw in December, which selected the two Muslim-majority countries where homosexuality is a criminal offense.
Egypt and Iran have both objected.
Egypt’s Football Association said such events clashed with its cultural and religious values, while the Iranian Football Federation has been quoted as saying that no “promotional activities” linked to the movement should be present inside the stadium.
The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Asexual Association (ILGA) monitors laws relating to homosexuality globally.
It says the death penalty is the legally prescribed punishment for same-sex sexual acts in Iran, the BBC reported in 2023.
FIFA said in a statement on Thursday: “The FIFA World Cup 2026 is an inclusive event that welcomes people from all backgrounds. Fans of all sexual orientations and gender identities are welcome at matches and events.
“General statements of human rights, including rainbow flags and other flags representing sexual orientation and gender identity, are permitted under the FIFA World Cup 2026 Stadium Code of Conduct and may be displayed inside stadiums.”
But the football governing body has emphasised that the Pride events are organised by Seattle’s local World Cup committee, not FIFA.
“I must clarify that there will be no ‘Pride Match’ at the World Cup,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino told Swiss magazine Die Weltwoche in January.
“There will be a FIFA World Cup match in Seattle and, on the same day, events organised by external organisations will be taking place in the city.
“But that has nothing to do with the match itself.”
FIFA’s decision to allow rainbow flags inside the stadium comes four years after it threatened yellow cards for captains wearing the “OneLove” armband at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, citing its rules against political slogans.
