Iran is illuminated on the display through the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw on December 05, 2025 in Washington, D.C.
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Officers in Egypt and Iran are protesting the scheduling of a FIFA World Cup match between the 2 groups subsequent June in Seattle, the place native organizers had deliberate Satisfaction festivities across the match.
Each Center Japanese international locations are culturally conservative. In Iran, same-sex sexual exercise will be punishable by demise, and different expressions of gender and sexuality could also be punished by imprisonment or flogging. In Egypt, morality legal guidelines permit for the de facto criminalization of same-sex relationships, and human rights teams report arrests and police harassment of suspected homosexual individuals.
In an announcement launched Tuesday, the Egyptian Soccer Affiliation mentioned it “categorically rejects the holding of any actions associated to supporting homosexuality” through the June 26 match. The affiliation has despatched a proper letter to FIFA asking them to take motion to “keep away from together with actions that would provoke cultural and spiritual sensitivities” amongst followers on the Seattle recreation.
Officers in Iran additionally objected. “We protested, and so did Egypt. It’s an unreasonable and illogical factor [for a match between the two teams] to assist a particular group,” mentioned Mehdi Taj, president of the Iran Soccer Federation, talking on state TV earlier this week. On Wednesday, Iranian sports activities minister Ahmad Donyamali mentioned that Iran had additionally complained on to FIFA.
FIFA didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark from NPR.
In an announcement, the native organizing group SeattleFWC26 mentioned it could be “shifting ahead as deliberate with our neighborhood programming outdoors the stadium throughout Satisfaction weekend and all through the event.”
“The Pacific Northwest is dwelling to one of many nation’s largest Iranian-American communities, a thriving Egyptian diaspora, and wealthy communities representing all nations we’re internet hosting in Seattle,” spokesperson Hana Tadesse informed NPR. “We’re dedicated to making sure all residents and guests expertise the heat, respect, and dignity that defines our area.”
German gamers pose with their arms overlaying their mouths as they line up for the crew images previous to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 match towards Japan in Doha. The transfer was a rebuke towards a clampdown on plans to put on rainbow armbands to protest discrimination within the host nation Qatar.
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Whereas FIFA, the worldwide governing physique for soccer, organizes the World Cup video games themselves, native teams in every host metropolis are chargeable for organizing occasions outdoors of the video games and function liaisons with native officers and enterprise homeowners. Greater than 750,000 guests are anticipated for the World Cup in Seattle alone, organizers say.
In Seattle, organizers have made values like accessibility and inclusion pillars of the town’s World Cup festivities. The June 26 match coincides with the town’s annual Satisfaction competition, which is organized independently of the World Cup. That weekend, a Satisfaction parade will march from downtown to the massive public competition on the Seattle Heart.
Internet hosting a match on Satisfaction weekend, the SeattleFWC26 web site says, is “a uncommon alternative to make a long-lasting influence.” One other match on June 19 between the U.S. and Australia will embody Juneteenth festivities.
“With matches on Juneteenth and delight, we get to point out the world that in Seattle, everyone seems to be welcome,” mayor-elect Katie Wilson wrote on X after the groups have been chosen.
Plans for the 2026 World Cup have been in progress for years, and video games, just like the June 26 match in Seattle, have lengthy been on the schedule. However organizers didn’t know which groups would play within the recreation till this previous Saturday, after FIFA held a draw to find out which groups would play in every group.
The June 26 match in Seattle was assigned to Iran and Egypt, whereas groupmates New Zealand and Belgium have been set to play on the identical day in close by Vancouver.
Each Belgium and New Zealand are among the many dozens of nations worldwide wherein same-sex marriage is authorized. FIFA didn’t reply to an inquiry about whether or not the 2 video games could possibly be switched.
On the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the place homosexuality is illegitimate, cultural clashes between the host nation and visiting groups and followers have been a significant story. At occasions, FIFA sided with Qatar: Seven European groups, together with Belgium, had deliberate for his or her captains to put on rainbow armbands through the Cup however finally backtracked, saying FIFA had threatened them with yellow playing cards. Some followers and a journalist — the late soccer author Grant Wahl — reported that they have been requested to take away rainbow clothes earlier than getting into stadiums. FIFA was sluggish to reply.
