Mondial-2026: l'Iran juge "irrationnelle" la tenue d'un "match des fiertés" contre l'Egypte
Iran, which will face Egypt in the next World Cup in the United States in June 2026, on Tuesday called the decision to dedicate this match to the LGBTQ+ community "irrational".
Iran, which qualified for the 2026 World Cup in March, will face Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand in Group G, following the draw held Friday in Washington in the presence of US President Donald Trump.
The match against Egypt, which will take place in Seattle, an American city with a large homosexual community, has been designated an LGBTQ+ "pride match", according to several media outlets, which claim that the decision predates the draw.
"This is an irrational decision that favors a certain group," Iranian Football Federation President Mehdi Taj was quoted as saying by the Isna news agency on Tuesday.
"We (Iran) and Egypt oppose this decision," he added, without mentioning the term "pride match."
Iranian state television, for its part, indicated that Iran would "challenge" this decision to the International Federation of Association Football.
Under Islamic law (Sharia), same-sex sexual relations are prohibited in Iran and can in some cases be punished by death.
The Egyptian Football Association has expressed similar objections, according to Egyptian media. Homosexuality is not explicitly prohibited in Egypt, but it is often punished by vaguely worded laws prohibiting "debauchery."
The 2026 World Cup will mark Iran's seventh participation in a World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Iran and the United States, once close allies, have not maintained diplomatic relations since 1980, following the hostage crisis at the American embassy in Tehran after the Islamic Revolution.
Iran, which had initially announced a boycott of Friday's draw to protest the US refusal to grant visas to several members of its delegation, ultimately attended.
Commentaires (4)
Ils jouent avec nos valeurs islamiques,ils pouvaient l'organiser entre pays non musulmans
Je ne pense pas que cela vise les "valeurs islamiques" en particulier mais plutôt les valeurs religieuses et conservatives en général. Le combat contre la banalisation et la médiatisation de l'homosexualité se mène dans toutes les sociétés.
Il faut y ajouter un désir de provoquer l'Iran.
L'Iran et l'Égypte devraient commencer le match avec 15 minutes de retard.
Ils peuvent boycotter aussi !
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