Iran, Egypt object to Pride displays ahead of Seattle World Cup match
Iran and Egypt are pushing FIFA to keep Pride-related displays and ceremonies out of Friday’s World Cup match in Seattle, but the governing body says rainbow flags will still be allowed inside the stadium under its tournament rules.
According to The Athletic, both countries formally asked FIFA to remove Pride-related activities from the official match environment.
“Our position is that no ceremonies or promotional activities associated with this movement should be present inside the stadium or as part of the match environment,” a spokesperson for Iran’s national team told the outlet.
The request follows Seattle’s decision to designate Friday as a Pride Match Day. It announced a series of activations and dedicated a page on its website. It even held Pride Match Day press briefings on Thursday ahead of Friday’s game.
But despite the city’s efforts, FIFA has continued to distance the tournament from Seattle’s branding.
“I must clarify that there will be no ‘Pride Match’ at the (FIFA) World Cup,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino told a Swiss newspaper in January. “There will be a FIFA World Cup match in Seattle, and on the same day, events organized by external organizations will be taking place in the city. But that has nothing to do with the match itself.”
While FIFA says rainbow flags are permitted inside all World Cup venues under its Stadium Code of Conduct, host cities — not FIFA — control events held outside the stadium.
Egypt and Iran object
Iran said the request reflects the cultural and religious values shared by both countries.
“Iran and Egypt are two Muslim countries with deep cultural and religious commonalities, and the views expressed by both federations reflect the values and beliefs shared by the people of both countries,” an Iran team spokesperson told The Athletic. “We believe FIFA should take into account the views and concerns of the participating teams when considering matters related to the match environment and stadium presentation.”
What about events around Seattle?
Sources familiar with the city’s plans told The Athletic that the main programming for Pride Match Day is expected to take place outside the stadium perimeter and does not include activities inside the venue.
Early reports about the match often blurred the distinction between Seattle’s Pride programming and FIFA’s role, fueling confusion over what would happen inside the stadium.
Round out your reading
- Not red or blue: America’s politically homeless middle.
- Peter Thiel’s ‘Dialog’ network was super-secret. A data leak changed that.
- The novel legal strategy that Taylor Swift and Matthew McConaughey are using to fight AI.
- Illinois balances budget with new $200 million social media tax that tracks in-state users.
- When Trump serves up ‘Just the News,’ it comes with a side of bias.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
