Seattle’s World Cup ‘Pride Match’ features Iran and Egypt

(Bloomberg) — A designated “Pride Match” at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Seattle will feature the national teams of Egypt and Iran, two countries where homosexuality is criminalized.

The local organizing committee in Seattle, one of the US host cities for the global tournament, had planned the Group G match as a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community well before the teams were assigned to the fixture, coinciding with the city’s official Pride weekend.

Following the draw and venue allocation over the weekend, the game between Egypt and Iran on June 26 at Lumen Field was confirmed as the designated event.

The Seattle Pride Match branding is not “affiliated with or endorsed by FIFA,” according to the organizer’s website.

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Hana Tadesse, vice president of communications for Seattle’s World Cup organizing committee, said the group has worked “with local, state, and federal partners to provide a safe and welcoming experience for fans from all nations.” She highlighted the local Iranian and Egyptian communities living in and near Seattle who will have the opportunity to see their teams play. 

US President Donald Trump last month criticized Seattle’s newly elected mayor, Katie Wilson, for her progressive politics. He raised questions about public safety, even though Seattle’s crime rate is lower than that of other host cities. 

The “Pride Match” in Seattle is an early test for FIFA’s US organizers following the 2022 World Cup in Qatar — another country with anti-same-sex relationship laws — when rights groups raised concerns over the safety of LGBTQ+ fans. FIFA threatened players with yellow cards if they wore the OneLove armband in support of LGBTQ+.

In Iran, the maximum punishment for homosexuality is the death penalty, while Egypt frequently uses public morality laws to suppress LGBTQ+ rights and relationships, leading to arrests and prosecution, according to Human Rights Watch.

For the US World Cup, cities have created their own organizing committees to manage the event. Seattle’s organizers, SeattleFWC26, have finalized a trio of Washington state artists who have submitted designs of artwork celebrating LGBTQ+ people for display around the city during the event.

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(Updates with comment from Seattle organizing committee from fifth paragraph.)

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