Arya News - The first-ever World Cup Pride Match will be between two countries where same-sex sexual relations are criminalized.
FIFA"s 2026 World Cup will have an LGBTQ+ Pride Match — and it"s between two countries where same-sex sexual relations are criminalized.
The international soccer tournament"s first-ever Pride-themed game will be hosted in Seattle , Washington at Lumen Field on June 26, 2026, the first day of the city"s annual Pride weekend. It will take place between Iran and Egypt, both countries where it is illegal to be queer.
Egypt criminalizes same-sex sexual activities between men, with a maximum penalty of three years" imprisonment and a fine. Meanwhile, Iran is the one nation that is known to actively enforce the death penalty for same-sex sexual relations, as the Islamic Penal Code of Iran punishes liwat (sodomy); tafkhiz (thigh sex); and musaheqeh (lesbian intercourse), levying up to 100 lashes for other sexual acts.
Related: From Afghanistan to Malaysia, these are the 61 countries that still criminalize homosexuality
The Pride Match is a far cry from past World Cups, including the 2022 tournament hosted in Qatar, which also criminalizes same-sex sexual relations. FIFA banned players from wearing "One Love" armbands in support of LGBTQ+ rights that year, while confiscating other rainbow items from fans.
In one notable instance, soccer journalist Grant Wahl was detained by security and forced to remove his rainbow t-shirt. Wahl, an outspoken LGBTQ+ ally and critic of Qatar"s human rights abuses, shortly after died of an aortic aneurysm .
Eric Wahl, Grant Wahl"s brother who is an out gay man, celebrated the historic Pride Match in a post on X, writing, "The Egypt v Iran match in Seattle in June just happens to be the Pride match, & I think that is a good thing, actually. (There are LGBTQAI+ people everywhere. All are welcome to be themselves in Seattle)"
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Seattle mayor-elect Katie Wilson also voiced her support for the match, saying in a post that the match is an opportunity to "show the world that in Seattle, everyone is welcome."
"Our city is ready, the fans are ready, and I can"t wait! FIFA World Cup is coming to Seattle, and we are excited to be a part of the global celebration," Wilson wrote. "With matches on Juneteenth and pride, we get to show the world that in Seattle, everyone is welcome. What an incredible honor!"
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This article originally appeared on Advocate: World Cup LGBTQ+ Pride Match will feature two countries where being gay is illegal
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