Egypt Tells FIFA To Scrap World Cup “Pride Match” Against Iran

In case you missed it, FIFA has hilariously designated the Egypt Vs Iran game as a ‘Pride Match’ at next summer’s World Cup, seeing as it takes place on June 26 and coincides with Seattle’s Pride weekend.

The date and venue had already been designated as a ‘Pride Match’ before the fixtures were announced, so it really couldn’t have panned out more awkwardly.

Now, Egypt’s Football Association has requested that FIFA remove any LGBTQ+ Pride-related activities from the weekend, as it would clash with the cultural and religious values of the nations participating in the match.

Egypt and Iran have some of the strictest anti-gay laws on the planet, but Seattle is one of the queer capitals of America, so surely there’s no way they’re going to cancel any Pride events during Pride month just to accommodate these two countries that hate gay people? After all, we all had to adapt to the laws of the land at the last World Cup in Qatar, didn’t we?

Indeed, in 2022, FIFA threatened yellow cards for players wearing the ‘OneLove’ armband in support of LGBTQ+ rights, prompting teams including England and Wales to abandon plans to use it. Fair enough, really – those are the rules out there. So why would it be any different when the situation is reversed?

According to reports, LGBTQ+ celebrations and artwork will be on display around the stadium and across Seattle that weekend, so it will basically be Gay Central everywhere you look. Bit of a head-f-ck for the Egyptian and Iran players and fans, but what’s the alternative?

In its letter to FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom, the EFA said it ‘categorically rejects any activities promoting LGBTQ during the match,’ warning that such events could ‘provoke cultural and religious sensitivities among fans.’

‘These activities directly conflict with the cultural, religious and social values of the region, particularly in Arab and Islamic societies,’ the EFA wrote.

‘While FIFA is committed to ensuring a respectful environment that welcomes all fans, it is essential to avoid activities that could spark tension or misunderstanding between supporters from Egypt and Iran.’

‘We call on FIFA to guarantee that the match takes place in an atmosphere focused solely on sport and free from displays that contradict the beliefs of the participating nations.’

The EFA said its position was based on FIFA’s statutes, ‘specifically Article 4, which emphasizes neutrality in political and social matters during FIFA competitions,’ and on disciplinary regulations that require tournaments to remain free of ‘manifestations that could cause tension or conflict among fans.’

In Iran, same-sex relations can result in the death penalty, while in Egypt morality laws are often used to prosecute LGBTQ+ people.

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

Time will tell whether FIFA cave to these requests, and I suppose it could be as simple as moving a few fixtures and/or locations around. I hope they don’t do that though because a) that would be weak and b) the alternative is so much funnier. Two countries who hate gay people (or at least, their governments do) travelling across the world to one of the gayest cities on the planet to play a special “Pride match”. The gayest football game the world has ever seen! Don’t screw this up, FIFA.

For the Israeli footballers who complained that the Italy players ‘cursed at us the whole game’ during World Cup qualifiers, click HERE.