The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has expressed its disapproval of the LGBTQ+ "Pride Match" celebrations planned for one of their 2026 World Cup matches. The EFA has sent a formal letter to FIFA, requesting that these celebrations do not proceed.
The local organising committee in Seattle, one of the host cities for the FIFA tournament next summer, announced plans to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community during a match at Lumen Field on 26 June. Following Friday's draw and Saturday's fixture allocation, it was confirmed that Seattle would host the Group G match between Egypt and Iran.
This game coincides with Seattle Pride weekend and falls two days before the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots - an event widely considered as sparking off the LGBTQ+ rights movement. These plans were put in place before team selection or World Cup draw took place and are solely organised by the local committee without any affiliation with FIFA itself.
Cultural clash
In both Iran and Egypt, homosexuality is heavily penalised. In Iran, homosexual relations can lead to capital punishment while in Egypt morality laws are frequently used to suppress LGBTQ+ rights and relationships.
On Tuesday, EFA issued a statement rejecting "in absolute terms" any activities linked to LGBTQ+ support during this match. The association argued that such an initiative would clash with "the cultural, religious and social values" of both countries involved in this fixture - Egypt and Iran.
Egypt FA released statement:
"The Egyptian Football Association explained in the letter that, while FIFA is committed to ensuring a respectful and welcoming environment for all fans, and in order to maintain the spirit of unity and peace, it is necessary to avoid including activities that could provoke cultural and religious sensitivities between fans present from both countries, Egypt and Iran, especially since such activities are culturally and religiously incompatible with the two countries.
"The federation also relied on FIFA’s established principle of respecting cultures and encouraging all parties to organise events in a way that respects the beliefs and identities of the participating communities. Therefore, in order to ensure that the match is held in an atmosphere of respect and focus solely on the sporting aspect, the Egyptian Federation categorically rejects these calls and demands that FIFA not hold any events or performances related to supporting homosexuality inside the stadium on matchday."
FIFA’s neutrality stance cited
In its statement against these planned celebrations, EFA cited FIFA’s statutes on political and social neutrality as grounds for their opposition. They argued that football matches should not be used as platforms for promoting causes deemed “sensitive or contentious”.
They urged FIFA to ensure that focus remains solely on the sport, without any external influences or distractions.
The EFA's opposition to the Pride Match celebrations planned for their World Cup fixture against Iran highlights a significant cultural clash between countries with strict laws against homosexuality and global efforts to promote LGBTQ+ rights. It remains to be seen how FIFA will respond to this request and what impact it may have on future World Cup matches.
