FIFA rejects Iran and Egypt pressure to ban rainbow flags at Seattle World Cup Pride match

FIFA will allow fans to bring rainbow Pride flags into Seattle Stadium on Friday night for the World Cup match between Iran and Egypt, rejecting pressure from both countries to limit visible support for LGBTQ+ people at a game local organizers have promoted as a Pride Match.The Group G match kicks off at 8 p.m. Pacific, 11 p.m. Eastern, at Seattle Stadium, known outside the tournament as Lumen Field. The game happens during Seattle’s annual Pride weekend and places one of the world’s most visible sporting events in direct contact with two governments that punish or prosecute homosexuality.The Telegraph reported on Wednesday that FIFA would not stop fans from bringing rainbow flags into the stadium. A FIFA spokesperson told the paper that the 2026 World Cup is “an inclusive event that welcomes people from all backgrounds” and that fans of all sexual orientations and gender identities are welcome at matches and events.Related: World Cup LGBTQ+ Pride Match will feature two countries where being gay is illegal“General statements of human rights, including rainbow flags and other flags representing sexual orientation and gender identity, are permitted under the FIFA World Cup 2026 Stadium Code of Conduct and may be displayed inside stadiums provided they are used in a manner consistent with the code,” the FIFA spokesperson said.The Associated Press also reported that FIFA treats rainbow flags as a statement of human rights and will allow fans to wave them inside the stadium, citing Hana Tadesse, a spokesperson for Seattle’s World Cup organizing committee.The match has become one of the tournament’s most politically charged fixtures. Seattle’s Pride Match designation was planned before the World Cup draw determined that Iran and Egypt would be the teams on the field. FIFA headquarters did not create the Pride initiative, and Pride-related events are organized locally rather than as official FIFA match programming.That distinction has not quieted the obje