Seattle’s local organising committee has confirmed it will go ahead with hosting a LGBTQ+ 'Pride Match' at the 2026 World Cup, BBC reported.

 

According to the report, the fixture will feature Egypt and Iran – two countries where homosexuality is illegal and carries severe punishments.

 

The committee announced earlier that the June 26 match at Lumen Field would celebrate the LGBTQ+ community as part of Seattle's official Pride weekend. 

 

However, organisers made the decision before knowing which teams would play in the fixture.

 

Friday's World Cup draw and Saturday's fixture allocation revealed that Egypt will face Iran in this Group G match. 

 

Iranian law permits the death penalty as the harshest punishment for same-sex relations while Egyptian authorities regularly deploy morality laws to restrict LGBTQ+ rights and relationships.

 

The local committee runs this event independently without any FIFA involvement.

 

Organisers have invited artists across Washington state to create artwork celebrating LGBTQ+ people, which will appear around the stadium and throughout the city during the match.

 

The Seattle Pride Match Advisory Committee, which organisers established specifically for this event, insists the celebration will continue as scheduled.

 

“The Pride Match has been scheduled to celebrate and elevate Pride events in Seattle and across the country, and it was planned well in advance. Soccer has a unique power to unite people across borders, cultures, and beliefs. We are honoured to host a Pride Match and to celebrate Pride as part of a global football community. This match reflects our ongoing commitment to respect, dignity, and unity for all,” a spokesperson was quoted as saying.

 

It may be noted that similar controversies have emerged at previous World Cups.

 

During the 2022 tournament in Qatar, where laws also criminalise same-sex relationships, FIFA threatened yellow cards for any player wearing the OneLove armband supporting LGBTQ+ rights.

 

Several teams, including England and Wales, had originally planned to wear the armband but abandoned the idea after FIFA issued its warning.