Iran and Egypt square off in Seattle on Friday in what will decide the winner of Group G at the 2026 World Cup. Egypt currently lead the group with four points, with Iran and Belgium following just behind with two points a piece.Iran is taking part in the 2026 World Cup, amid a politically charged atmosphereGettyAll final group stage matches will kick off at the same time, to prevent match fixing, but in the lead up to their game, Iran – who have faced strict travel restrictions to the US during the tournament – have had their latest request to FIFA denied.The Iran Football Federation wanted FIFA to prevent any ‘ceremonies or promotional activities’ in support of the LGBTQ+ community at the much discussed ‘Pride Match’, although the name itself was something FIFA President Gianni Infantino has attempted to play down. “I must clarify that there will be no ‘Pride Match’ at the (FIFA) World Cup,” Infantino said in January. “There will be a FIFA World Cup match in Seattle, and on the same day, events organised by external organizations will be taking place in the city. But that has nothing to do with the match itself.”Since Seattle was confirmed as the venue for the World Cup fixture on June 26, the city’s host committee has been preparing activations to mark the occasion.These plans are ultimately decided by Seattle organizers, with representation on its committee including executives from Major League Soccer team Seattle Sounders FC, the NWSL’s Seattle Reign FC, as well as the NFL and current Super Bowl champions Seattle Seahawks. The Seattle Sports Commission and Sounders owner Adrian Hanauer also represent part of the committee, while FIFA’s central headquarters have held no role in the Pride initiative. State Senator Jamie Pedersen, an openly gay member of the Washington State Legislature, said it was “highly appropriate” that the match will feature Egypt and Iran and show “positive images of folks from the community.”“If you tried to import a pride celebration into Egypt or Iran, obviously that could be a disaster,” he said. “But in a community like Seattle that prides itself on welcoming people from all over, I just can’t imagine that it’s going to be a significant problem.”FIFA president Infantino has played down the Pride celebrations ahead of the game between Egypt and Iran in SeattleGettyIran is against the activation from Seattle organizers due to take place the same date as their fixture against Egypt on June 26GettyHowever, the festivities planned around the upcoming match has received major pushback from both Egypt and Iran, especially the latter, who wouldn’t even refer to the LGBTQ+ community by name, instead calling it “this movement.”“The Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran takes this matter seriously and has clearly communicated its position to FIFA,” a statement to The Athletic on Wednesday read. “Iran and Egypt are two Muslim countries with deep cultural and religious commonalities, and the views expressed by both federations reflects the values and beliefs shared by the people of both countries.“Our position is that no ceremonies, or promotional activities associated with this movement should be present inside the stadium or as part of the match environment. This position has been communicated to FIFA through the appropriate channels.“We believe FIFA should take into account the views and concerns of the participating teams when considering matters related to the match environment and stadium presentation.“FIFA has been informed of this shared position by both countries and is expected to take the necessary steps to ensure that no related ceremonies or promotional activities take place within the stadium or as part of the official match environment.”Seattle is not backing down from planned celebrationsGettyFIFA, however, have laid out their regulations clearly, stating that it considers the 2026 World Cup to be an “inclusive event.“The FIFA World Cup 2026 is an inclusive event that welcomes people from all backgrounds. Fans of all sexual orientations and gender identities are welcome at matches and events,” their statement read. “General statements of human rights, including rainbow flags and other flags representing sexual orientation and gender identity, are permitted under the FIFA World Cup 2026 Stadium Code of Conduct and may be displayed inside stadiums provided they are used in a manner consistent with the code.”Stay up to date with the World Cup across all our talkSPORT platforms – subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest news, opinion, exclusive interviews and our daily unfiltered, unscripted show ‘The S* Word, from 8am ETAll 104 games at the 2026 World Cup this summer will be live on talkSPORT, talkSPORT 2 and the talkSPORT app.