2026 World Cup: Egyptian FA asks Fifa to cancel ‘Pride Match’ plans in Seattle

The Pride Match plans have also reportedly drawn criticism from Iranian media.

Mehdi Taj, head of Iran’s Football Federation, was quoted by local news agency ISNA as saying Tehran and Cairo had both raised “objections against the issue”, which he labelled an “irrational move that supports a certain group”.

However, the BBC understands reports suggesting Iran have officially appealed to Fifa about the Pride Match are untrue.

The Seattle Pride Match Advisory Committee (PMAC), set up by organisers to help with the event, has previously said the game will still go ahead as planned.

Following the draw, Eric Wahl, a member of PMAC, said it was a positive these nations had been drawn to play in the fixture.

“The Egypt v Iran match in Seattle in June just happens to be the Pride match, and I think that is a good thing, actually,” he wrote on social media, external.

“There are LGBTQAI+ people everywhere. All are welcome to be themselves in Seattle.”

It is not the first time an attempted gesture of support for LGBTQ+ people at the World Cup has run into issues.

At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar – a country which also has laws against same-sex relationships – Fifa said players who wore the OneLove armband in support of LGBTQ+ people would receive yellow cards.

Before that tournament, then-UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said LGBT football fans who attended the Qatar tournament should show “a little bit of flex and compromise” in respect of the country’s laws – remarks described as “tone deaf” by critics.

BBC Sport has contacted Fifa and the Seattle organising committee for comment.