The authorities of Iran refuses to play the first-ever FIFA World Cup Pride Match celebrating the LGBTQ community.
The 2026 World Cup will mark Iran's seventh participation in the tournament, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The local organising committee in Seattle, Washington, where the fixture is scheduled to take place next year, had previously announced its intention to hold a "Pride Match" coinciding with the northwestern city's Pride Weekend in late June.
Pride events at sporting matches have become common in the United States for the very reason that supporting this “certain group” is necessary because of the environment around men’s sports in particular that has long made LGBTQ people feel unwelcome.
The head of Iran’s Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, said they raised objections against this decision, which he labelled an ‘irrational move that supports a certain group.'
Homosexuality is illegal in Iran under Islamic law and can be punishable by death.
