FIFA confirms that fans may bring rainbow flags to the Iran–Egypt World Cup match in Seattle while Seattle's local World Cup committee stages Pride watch parties and merchandise despite formal objections from the Iranian Football Federation and the Egyptian Football Association.Iran and Egypt oppose Pride activities at the stadium, citing laws that criminalize same-sex relations and cultural and religious sensitivities; FIFA says the World Cup Code of Conduct permits rainbow flags with size limits and bans on political items and clarifies that the "Pride Match" label is a local initiative.Activists including
Bookda Gheisar and
Jaelynn Scott say visibility matters for queer communities facing repression and prosecution, and
Gianni Infantino says there will be no official
FIFA Pride ceremony as
Seattle proceeds with independent festivities during its Pride weekend.