Pride vs. Pitch: Seattle’s World Cup Moment Sparks a Global Debate
10 February 2026
Context
Seattle mayor Kathy Wilson insisted on city Pride celebrations during the June 26, 2026 World Cup group match between Iran and Egypt, despite formal protests from both governments to FIFA.
Wilson told reporters that this event matters greatly here in Seattle. We host one of the largest Pride celebrations in the United States. We are proud of it and excited to host a match during Pride weekend. We will celebrate loudly, and I think our residents are looking forward to it. We hope fans enjoy it too.
Beyond Seattle's explicit endorsement, representatives of both Iran, where homosexuality is punishable by death, and Egypt, where it faces prison, sent formal complaints to FIFA.
Wilson replied to a question about whether FIFA had raised objections to Pride Match, per press reports: there are no issues as far as I know.
Egypt and Iran, both in Group Seven of the 2026 World Cup, meet on Friday, June 26, 2026, (Friday night into Saturday in some zones) at Lumen Field in Seattle.
The organizers had set Pride Night in advance, without knowing the rival teams. The city says the match will proceed with sensitivity to all fans.
Punchline: If football is a language of unity, Seattle just added a neon apostrophe to Pride. Punchline 2: Let us hope the only offsides are the jokes.
