Several cities in North America will play host to FIFA World Cup matches next year.
When sporting events draw teams from drastically different global cultures, there are bound to be clashes, but the largest ones of the tournament may come when teams from two Islamic countries are expected to play in the “Seattle Pride Match.”
Lumen Field in the city of Seattle, Washington, will host six of the World Cup matches in 2026, according to a report from Blaze Media.
But one of those matches will happen on June 26, which coincides with the progressive city’s infamous “Pride Month,” and will indeed be called the “Seattle Pride Match.”
If the competitors were restricted to countries in Western Europe and other more progressive nations, perhaps this would not be a problem, apart from a few conservative or Christian players rightly miffed about having to partake in that event.
The 2026 World Cup Will Have An Official “Pride Match” in Seattle That Will Feature Egypt & Iran, Two Countries Who Imprison Gay People https://t.co/PqWYpyrnfI pic.twitter.com/cTFTkcaAXy
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) December 8, 2025
But after the World Cup draw on Friday, it was determined that none other than Iran and Egypt will play in the “Seattle Pride Match.”
Like most predominantly Islamic nations, both countries criminalize homosexuality.
Egypt prosecutes the behavior under its debauchery laws, while Iran criminalizes homosexual relationships with flogging or the death penalty.
But by all indications, the “Seattle Pride Match” is continuing as planned, rainbows and all.
Artists from across Washington state will be fashioning LGBT-themed public displays to welcome their new friends from the Middle East, according to a report from Newsweek.
Hedda McLendon, the senior vice president of legacy for SeattleFWC2026, said in a statement to Outsports that they are “working with small businesses so the region’s LGBTQ+-owned enterprises are ready to benefit from the tournament’s unprecedented visitor surge,” per Newsweek.
Eric Wahl, a member of the Seattle “Pride Match” Advisory Committee, even said that “the match-up of two countries where it is illegal to be gay is actually a ‘good thing’ for the Pride Match.”
A representative of the “Pride Match” Advisory Committee told Outsports that the event “has been scheduled to celebrate and elevate Pride events in Seattle and across the country, and it was planned well in advance.”
“It is a Host City-led expression of Seattle and Washington State’s commitment to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment where everyone belongs — players, fans, residents, and visitors alike,” the statement added.
We shall see what Iran and Egypt have to say about that.
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