FIFA is facing a delicate situation following the World Cup draw, where the ‘Pride Match’ scheduled for June 26 at Lumen Field in Seattle was drawn as a Group G clash between Egypt and Iran.
The Egyptian Football Association said in a statement that it has sent a formal letter to FIFA requesting the LFBTQ+ celebration to be cancelled, distancing itself from the proposal in “absolute terms” because it clashes with the cultural and religious values of the two sides involved.
The date was chosen ahead of the draw because it falls on the weekend of Seattle Pride, while two days later is the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, a significant anniversary that marks the birth of the LGBTQ+ rights movement.
The event is organised by Seattle’s World Cup organising commitee, not by FIFA.
In both countries, LGBTQ+ relationships are punished with severity. In Iran, the maximum sentence is the death penalty, and in Egypt, morality laws leave very little rights for LGBTQ+ relationships.
After sending the letter to FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom, the Egyptian FA released the following statement:
“The Egyptian Football Association explained in the letter that, while FIFA is committed to ensuring a respectful and welcoming environment for all fans, and in order to maintain the spirit of unity and peace, it is necessary to avoid including activities that could provoke cultural and religious sensitivities between fans present from both countries, Egypt and Iran, especially since such activities are culturally and religiously incompatible with the two countries.
“The federation also relied on FIFA’s established principle of respecting cultures and encouraging all parties to organise events in a way that respects the beliefs and identities of the participating communities.
“Therefore, in order to ensure that the match is held in an atmosphere of respect and focus solely on the sporting aspect, the Egyptian Federation categorically rejects these calls and demands that FIFA not hold any events or performances related to supporting homosexuality inside the stadium on matchday.”
Article 4 of the FIFA statutes emphasises neutrality in political and social matters during FIFA competitions.
Shifting to another game in Seattle won’t prove so easy.
Australia’s clash with the USA is an option – however, that coincides with America’s celebration of the end of slavery in the USA.
The other possible group games will feature either Egypt again, or Qatar, who have similarly strict views on this topic. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, FIFA mandated that players who wore the OneLove armband as a show of solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community would receive yellow cards.
Members of The Seattle Pride Match Advisory Committee have, so far, remained focused on the celebration going ahead.