Rainbow flags will be allowed inside the stadium in Seattle, where the FIFA World Cup group game between Iran and Egypt is being held on June 26, despite both countries objecting to the standards associated with the LGBT community.
Both countries are predominantly Muslim, and homosexuality is illegal in Iran and criminalized in Egypt, but Hana Tadesse, a spokesperson for Seattle’s World Cup organizing committee, said on June 24 that FIFA considers the rainbow flag a statement of human rights and will allow fans to wave it inside Lumen Field.
In December 2025, the soccer federations of both Iran and Egypt complained after it became clear that Seattle’s World Cup organizing committee wanted to use the match as a “once-in-a-lifetime moment to showcase and celebrate LGBTQIA+ communities in Washington.”
As Chris Summers reports for Epoch Times, under FIFA’s World Cup stadium policy, it is prohibited for fans to bring in certain controversial political items.
“Any materials, including but not limited to banners, flags, flyers, apparel, and other paraphernalia that are of a political, offensive, and/or discriminatory nature, containing wording, symbols, or any other attributes aimed at discrimination of any kind against a country, private person, or group on account of race, skin color, ethnicity, national or social origin, gender, disability, language, religion, political or any other opinion, birth, wealth or any other status, sexual orientation, or any other grounds,” according to the policy.
When Iran played its first game, against New Zealand in Inglewood, California, on June 15, The Epoch Times reported that FIFA had banned Iranian fans who opposed the regime in Tehran from flying the country’s pre-1979 flag—which bears a lion-and-sun standard—inside the stadium.
On June 25, before the Iranian soccer team held a news conference in Seattle, Daniel Marin, FIFA’s executive director of public relations, read a statement on behalf of the Iranian team.
“This Islamic Republic of the Iran Football Federation has asked us to inform the media that they are only willing to answer questions in relation to the game,” Marin said.
“We fully respect the right of all journalists to ask questions. In this case, we ask you respect the rights of the federation here today to only answer questions in relation to the team, the tactics, the match, and so on.”
Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand makes a save against Belgium during their soccer World Cup match in Inglewood, Calif., on June 21, 2026. Mark J. Terrill/AP
But Iran’s coach, Amir Ghalenoei, was still asked a barrage of questions about the issue by journalists, which he declined to answer.
If Iran wins, they will advance to the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time.
“I said to you earlier we are here to play football. For nothing else,” Ghalenoei said.
“Our entire focus is going to be on tomorrow’s game, on succeeding in tomorrow’s game. And, anything else that is banned ... we don’t want to speak about it.”
“We are only going to speak about football, what a beautiful game it is, and how enjoyable it’s going to be,” Ghalenoei said.
Egypt’s players and coach Hossam Hassan also declined to answer questions on the issues during a news conference at Husky Soccer Stadium in Seattle.
“We are all focused on football,” Hassan, speaking through a translator, said. “This is all that we think about.”
The wearing of rainbow armbands became a controversy in 2024, when several English Premier League soccer players objected to wearing them as part of an “LGBTQ+ inclusion initiative” because of their religious beliefs.
Marc Guehi, who is currently playing for England in the World Cup, chose to write over the armband the message, “Jesus loves you.”
Sam Morsy, a practicing Muslim who captained Ipswich Town, chose not to wear the symbol on his jersey when he led his team to a draw against Manchester United in December 2024. Morsy played nine times for Egypt—where his father is from—but was not included in their World Cup squad.
The Epoch Times reached out to FIFA for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.