Iran’s soccer chief has condemned a World Cup match chosen by organizers as an LGBTQ “pride match” as an “irrational act”.
Published December 9, 2025
Iran’s soccer chief has taken issue with the “absurd” branding of the 2026 World Cup match against Egypt, which local US organizers suggested would be held in support of the LGBTQ community.
Organizing committees in Seattle, Washington, where the games are scheduled to be held next year, previously announced their intention to hold a “Pride Match” to coincide with the northwest city’s Pride Weekend in late June.
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Following last week’s FIFA tournament draw, Egypt and Iran are scheduled to play the previous Friday, June 26th, in Seattle.
Iranian Football Federation president Mehdi Taj said both Tehran and Cairo “dissent on this issue” and called it “an irrational move to favor a particular group,” local news agency ISNA reported.
Taj did not mention the specific brand of the equipment.
On Monday, Iranian state television reported that the Iranian government intended to “appeal” the matter to FIFA.
Homosexuality is illegal in Iran under Islamic law and can be punished by death.
Local media reported, citing unnamed sources, that the Egyptian Football Association has expressed similar opposition.
Homosexuality is not explicitly prohibited in Egypt, but is often punished under loosely worded laws prohibiting “debauchery.”
The 2026 World Cup will be Iran’s seventh participation in the tournament, which is co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Iran and the United States have not had diplomatic relations since 1980, following the hostage crisis that followed the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Iran had initially refused to participate in Friday’s lottery to protest the United States’ denial of visas to some members of the delegation, but ultimately reversed its decision.
Taj said on Tuesday that some Iranian athletes may face visa issues over their service in the Iranian military, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), which was designated a “terrorist organization” by the United States in 2019.
“For the World Cup we have to work on securing replacement options and we have already started doing that,” he said.
Iran will be placed in Group G alongside Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand in the 39-day tournament, which will run from June 11 to July 19.
