Iran’s World Cup participation in major doubt, but Seattle’s LGBTQ Pride Match plans continue
There’s been intense interest in the prospect of a Pride Match at World Cup 2026, but it now seems unlikely Iran will contest the fixture in Seattle in June. The post Iran’s World Cup participation in major doubt, but Seattle’s LGBTQ Pride Match plans continue appeared first on Outsports.
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Plans to connect the celebration of Pride in Seattle with a scheduled FIFA World Cup match are continuing.
However, fresh uncertainty has been cast over which teams will play in that Group G fixture on Friday, June 26, because of the Iran war.
The country’s sports minister, Ahmad Donyamali, has announced that the Iranian national team cannot play in the U.S. this summer, due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Related
Iran and Egypt ask FIFA to cancel World Cup Pride Match celebration
Iran and Egypt are protesting the designation of their World Cup match as a ‘Pride Match,’ with the countries’ anti-gay laws.
FIFA is yet to officially respond, although the governing body is understood to be exploring all options. On Thursday, the U.S. President posted on social media to say that while the Iranian team was “welcome” at the World Cup, he felt it would be inappropriate for the players to participate “for their own life and safety.”
For now, the tournament’s match schedule still lists Iran vs Egypt at Lumen Field that night, but local organizers and fans are bracing themselves for change.
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The game became the focus of global interest following the draw in December and an initial report by Outsports, which established through official statements that the “Pride Match” plans would not be dropped, despite the two teams set to play in it both representing nations which retain anti-LGBTQ laws and whose governments regularly imprison and persecute gay people.
Inevitably, there will be at least some knock-on effect on the “Pride Match” related festivities, which will take place outside the stadium and which continue to be worked on by the Seattle FIFA World Cup 26 (SeattleFWC26) Local Organizing Committee.
What happens if Iran pulls out of the World Cup?
If the Iranian Football Federation withdraws, FIFA would look to replace them with another national team. There is no likelihood of an imminent decision, particularly with inter-confederation play-off matches still to be played.
Those games are set to be held in Mexico in late March, and will produce two more World Cup qualifiers. One of the teams involved is Iraq, who have been tipped as the most likely substitute for Iran, though FIFA retains sole discretion over replacements.
Should Iraq qualify through the play-offs anyway, it could fall to the United Arab Emirates as next in line from the AFC confederation.
As for the “Pride Match” game on June 26, that designation is almost certain to stay in place from the Seattle side, although it has not been endorsed or commented upon publicly by FIFA.
Both the Egyptian and Iranian football federations were known to have raised objections with FIFA over the designation in the weeks following the draw.
Similar to the situation in those two nations, legal frameworks in Iraq and the U.A.E. also criminalize LGBTQ people.
What more do we know about the ‘Pride Match’ plans?
While there have been few clear references from Seattle FWC26 organizers to any Pride-related plans since December, a “100 Days to Go” update issued last week did mention the “Pride Match” design contest, for which three finalists were announced back in November.
The winning posters will form part of a massive monorail art activation in the city, spanning 53 columns.
Of these, 48 will carry the flags of the qualifying nations, while others are dedicated to specific community themes, including the Pride designs created by Sharon Blyth-Moss, Kelly Bjork and Shayla Hufana.
The latter has also confirmed that her entry has been selected as the official “Pride Pin” in a new app called SEA&WIN, which turns the city into an interactive game.
@fwc26seattle Think you can beat Pete Fewing and Brad Evans’ high scores? Enough to win some prizes? SEA & WIN ! As part of the Seattle World Cup community, we welcome you to Explore, Play, and Win with SEA&WIN, the Official Mobile Game of Seattle FIFA World Cup 26
Explore featured locations across Seattle and Washington State, complete tours, answer quizzes, and take on challenges to earn points you can redeem for prizes. Discover the best of our region’s art, culture, landmarks, and small businesses while playing your way through the city and around the state. Download now via
in our bio, and start playing! Special thank you to our partners yumebauinc + puyalluptribeofindians + genslerseattle along with several other groups and communities across Seattle and Washington state who spent countless hours to make this dream a reality! #WeAreSeattle #FIFAWorldCup #SEAandWIN ♬ Prosperidade Gravada no Éter – Meditação Sonora
“Players… will be able to collect this Pride Pin as they complete challenges and celebrate Pride Match Day,” wrote Hufana on Instagram.
“So happy to be given the opportunity to contribute to this historic moment for our city. Grateful to represent for the LGBTQ+ community!”
Eric Wahl, who is a member of Seattle’s Pride Match Advisory Committee, told Outsports: “We had some really compelling entries in the artwork competition and did a lot of deliberation before selecting finalists, in addition to requesting tweaks to final design submissions.
“I’m very happy with our selection and how the artwork will be used both within the city and by local LGBTQAI+ businesses and organizations.”
What could happen next?
Outsports has reached out to Seattle FWC26 for an update. Their VP of Communications, Hana Tadesse, did say to FOX 13 Seattle this week: “All match scheduling decisions rest with FIFA.
“At this time, SeattleFWC26 has not received any communication from FIFA indicating a change to our current match schedule, and our work continues uninterrupted.”
The volatility of the wider situation, coupled with the fact that national teams are still trying to qualify for the World Cup, makes it hard to predict the future.
As reported by KOMO News, Iranian Americans living in the Pacific Northwest find themselves torn. While there is great passion for the national team, known as “Team Melli,” many supporters have leveraged previous international matches to protest the Iranian government.
The World Cup could also have offered a potential platform for political asylum requests, such has been seen this month around the Iranian women’s team’s participation in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia.
The withdrawal of the men’s team from the World Cup by the Iranian government would also silence the voices of activists who might feasibly have planned to use games in Seattle, including the “Pride Match,” to draw global attention to human rights issues.
At the center of the matter are the players, a situation Wahl has highlighted on social media where he is active. He explained to Outsports: “I can’t help but feel sad for the Iranian national soccer team, whose hard work qualified them for the World Cup fair and square.
“They earned their placement, but I also wouldn’t want their safety jeopardized by having to come to the U.S.”
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)
— Eric Wahl (@ziplamak) December 6, 2025
Wahl is the brother of acclaimed soccer journalist Grant Wahl, who frequently spoke out in support of LGBTQ rights during his career, including in Qatar while covering the last men’s FIFA World Cup in 2022. He was aged just 49 when he suffered an untimely death during the quarterfinal stage of that tournament.
For Eric Wahl, Grant’s legacy and allyship have frequently come to mind during his involvement with the Pride Match Advisory Committee.
“There’s so much about this World Cup that Grant was uniquely suited to writing about, and I hoped my limited involvement would help me feel closer to him, which it has done to an extent,” he added.
“But it’s sometimes tough to find and hold onto the pockets of joy I wanted most to highlight. Such is the nature of the World Cup, I know, and such is the nature of LGBTQAI+ people having to fight for visibility and inclusion in what we love as well.”
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The post Iran’s World Cup participation in major doubt, but Seattle’s LGBTQ Pride Match plans continue appeared first on Outsports.
