"Iran's football chief has objected to the irrational branding of its World Cup 2026 match against Egypt, which local organisers in the United States have suggested will be held in support of the LGBTQ community. The organising committee in Seattle, Washington state, where the match is scheduled to take place next year, had previously announced their intention to hold a Pride Match coinciding with the northwestern city's Pride Weekend in late June."
"Following last week's FIFA tournament draw, Egypt and Iran are now slated to face off in Seattle on June 26, the Friday before. The head of Iran's Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, was quoted by local news agency ISNA as saying Tehran and Cairo had both raised objections against the issue, which he labelled an irrational move that supports a certain group. Taj did not mention the specific branding of the fixture."
Local organisers in Seattle announced plans to brand Iran's World Cup 2026 group match against Egypt as a Pride Match coinciding with the city's Pride Weekend in late June. Iran's Football Federation head Mehdi Taj called the branding irrational, and Tehran and Cairo reportedly raised objections. Iranian state television said Tehran will appeal to FIFA. Homosexuality is illegal in Iran under Islamic law and can be punishable by death; Egypt commonly prosecutes same-sex activity under loosely worded debauchery laws. Iran will participate in its seventh World Cup in 2026, hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico. Iran and the US have had no diplomatic relations since 1980, and some Iranian players may face US visa issues due to military service.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]