FIFA has rejected a joint request from the Egyptian and Iranian football associations to ban the entry of rainbow flags supporting the “LGBT” community into the stadium.

The Egypt vs Iran showdown is scheduled to take place on Friday evening in the American city of Seattle, coinciding with the city’s annual Pride celebrations. This has placed the encounter at the center of a wide controversy, given the opposing stances toward same-sex relationships in both countries.

Egypt and Iran demanded the exclusion of any displays supporting homosexuality during the match.

However, FIFA refused to restrict freedom of expression, asserting in an official statement that the tournament is “an inclusive event that welcomes fans from all backgrounds,” and that general symbols of human rights, including rainbow flags, are permitted inside stadiums as long as they comply with the approved code of conduct.

FIFA only controls what happens inside the stadium, whereas the Pride celebrations are organized by the city of Seattle.

Nevertheless, the objections from both sides received no response, particularly after the Iranian national team was allowed to travel early to the city following threats to file an official complaint over travel restrictions it deemed unfair.

Seattle city authorities in contrast anticipated protests on the sidelines of the match, confirming their readiness to handle any developments by designating specific areas for demonstrations and reinforcing security measures around the stadium.

US turns down Iranian team’s request regarding departure date

Furthermore, the US rejected a request from the Iranian national team regarding its departure date from Seattle following the upcoming match against Egypt.

US officials had eased the travel restrictions imposed on the Iranian team, allowing the squad’s players to enter the US two days before the match, whereas they were previously only permitted to enter one day before each game.

This decision came after Iranian players protested in interviews following previous matches.

The new privileges for the Iranian team were limited to early entry only, while their request for player recovery inside the US after the conclusion of the match was denied, meaning they must depart immediately after it ends.

The White House Executive Director for the 2026 World Cup Task Force, Andrew Giuliani, told the Associated Press: “Our plan was to first review how the Iranian team’s first two trips went, and if things went well, we would consider adding an extra day for early arrival, given the long route to Seattle.”

The two teams are participating in the 2026 World Cup.

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