The Pride Match chosen for the World Cup in Seattle between the anti-LGBT regimes of Iran and Egypt ended Friday night in a 1-1 draw. The LGBT community didn’t exactly win either: rainbow flags were allowed, but only a handful could be seen in the stands. The accompanying program also fell far short of expectations.
But the matchup had generated massive buzz for months. Local organizers had positioned the game early within the CSD weekend and labeled it accordingly. Both teams protested — in vain (TheColu.mn reported).
We did not want to provoke anyone
Yet the reality inside and around the stadium showed little Pride atmosphere. Only scattered rainbow flags in the stands, a few faces painted in bright colors, two stands near the stadium handing out scarves and flags. One organizer had already set the tone: We did not want to provoke anyone.
Also the players from both countries kept gestures related to the topic to themselves. There were boos from the crowd during the Iranian national anthem. Toward the end of the first half, stewards confiscated several noisemakers from fans of both teams.
Scuffles outside the stadium
Politically charged was the scene around the arena: Iranian regime opponents demonstrated against their government and against FIFA, which had allowed Iran to participate in the World Cup despite the situation in the country. About 200 people marched through Seattle chanting “FIFA is a disgrace.” In front of the stadium there were isolated clashes between regime opponents and regime supporters — recognizable by the flags they carried: the official state flag on one side, the historic Lion and Sun flag on the other.
There were no confrontations with queer activists. According to the Associated Press, there were only mild expressions of displeasure against the Pride Match. So a truck carried the message “No LGBT agenda. Football should stay football” — from CitizenGo, a global and Germany-active fundamentalist campaign organization.
Egypt continues, Iran must wait
Apart from the politics, the football remained in play. Iran, after three draws, sits in third place in the group and can still reach the knockout stage — a historic achievement. Egypt, led by superstar Mohamed Salah, had already secured advancement before the match, but behind Belgium due to a worse goal difference, sits in second place.
