2026 World Cup: Egypt outraged | OneFootball

2026 World Cup: Egypt outraged

Egypt and Iran are fuming at FIFA just seven months ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Iran, through its football federation, has strongly objected to the decision to dedicate the June 26, 2026 match between Iran and Egypt to the LGBTQ+ community. The initiative, promoted as a “Pride Match” and reportedly announced even before the official draw, has sparked intense backlash. Iranian Football Federation president Mehdi Taj called the move “irrational” and stated that both Iran and Egypt are firmly against it. Iranian state television also reported that the country plans to file an official protest with FIFA over the initiative.

This controversy comes just months before a World Cup that was already fraught for Iran, which had previously threatened to boycott the draw after some delegation members were denied U.S. visas.