The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) announced on Tuesday (12/09/2025) that it has sent a letter to FIFA asking the football body to stop any activities related to the LGTBI community during the match against Iran at the World Cup in Seattle next June.
The EFA argues in the letter that such events “directly contradict the cultural, religious and social values of the region, particularly in Arab and Islamic societies.” It also states: “FIFA strives to ensure a respectful environment in which all fans are welcome,” so “it is important to avoid activities that could cause tension or misunderstanding between fans of Egypt and Iran.”
The June 26 gathering was dubbed a “Pride Party” by local organizers to coincide with Pride weekend in the American city.
Homosexual relationships are forbidden in Iran and are even punishable by death
“It is an irrational decision that favors a certain group,” criticized the president of the Iranian Football Association, Mehdi Taj, from the Isna news agency. “We and Egypt are against this decision,” he said. Iranian state television indicated that Iran would “challenge” this decision before FIFA.
According to Islamic law (Sharia), same-sex sexual relationships are prohibited in Iran and can in some cases be punished with the death penalty.
Homosexuality is not explicitly banned in Egypt, but is often punished by vaguely worded laws prohibiting “depravity.”
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, FIFA threatened players who wore the “OneLove” armband in support of the LGBTI community with yellow cards, leading to teams such as England and Wales having to abandon their plans to wear the armband.
rr afp/reuters
About The Author
