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

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.