Inside the 'Pride Match' between Egypt and Iran: No red flags as Seattle unites

It’s been a long run-up to the Group G encounter between Iran and Egypt in Seattle, and it started back in December before the draw was even done.

SeattleFWC26 - the organising committee behind the Emerald City’s World Cup matches - designated the June 26th fixture to be ‘Pride Match’, in their own words, “a citywide celebration of visibility, belonging, and community - anchored in the FIFA World Cup 2026™ and powered by the people, businesses, and neighbourhoods that make Washington extraordinary”.

The snag once the draw was made, it would be two nations that have oppressive laws or regimes around the LGBTQ+ community.

Since that draw, a tug-of-war between the footballing governing bodies and FIFA. Both Egypt and Iran’s federations were strong in their disapproval, calling for the rainbow flag - a symbol of the community - to be banned from the stadium. FIFA refused, saying in a statement days before the game that the World Cup is "an inclusive event that welcomes people from all backgrounds".

So, on Friday, interest was high just to see what would happen. You could see that in the media's interest in this game. Flashscore has been at every game in Seattle during the tournament, with the numbers as high as the USA’s 2-0 win over Australia.

Walking to the stadium, Egypt’s flag was flown as their fans chanted ‘Masr’ (the Arabic word for Egypt) on a loop for 30 minutes as they walked from the Waterfront Pier to Seattle Stadium. Rainbow flags were also spotted, and no animosity was shown. The same can be said in the stadium. All three flags were on show, calming any visceral experience that was anticipated.

The pre-match build-up followed the same pattern as others; both teams’ fans were given the chance to shout for their team, whilst there was no mention of the rainbow flag, as FIFA had promised.

Numerous FIFA volunteers and police officers did have the flag on display, and Flashscore understands that no memo from FIFA was sent out to dissuade staff from showing it.

Policing was the same throughout the city. One Seattle Transit individual told Flashscore that they were expecting around 750,000 people to be moving around on Friday, with extra staff added to aid travellers to the game. This has been the same for all of the World Cup fixtures. Essentially, business as usual.

Protests, counter-protests and counter-counter-protests were noticeable in the run-up to kick-off, but as we have seen throughout this World Cup, the vast majority of people are here for one thing - the football.

One Seattle resident, who was going to the game to watch his beloved Mohamed Salah, wore both an Egypt shirt and a rainbow sash, showing the complex nature of this argument.

You can support two things at the same time, which is not the view of the two nations’ federations.

Another Seattle resident was bedecked in a pride-themed shirt as he headed into the stadium. He explained to Flashscore that it was important to show beliefs at these games to the world and show the progressive nature of this city.

It has welcomed its guests, from their home nations or from the diasporas across the States, and its tolerance has been on full display.

Problems at this World Cup started long ago, they have persisted throughout, and they will be there after this game. But, during those 90 minutes on the pitch, as we have seen time and again during major tournaments, that all melted away.

Josh Donaldson is a Global Senior Editor and International Football Specialist for Flashscore. From the UK, now living in Prague, Josh specialises in football and cycling and can be found at an obscure ground watching games or on his bike. You can follow Josh on X and read his articles here.