WASHINGTON, June 25. /TASS/. The Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) has lodged an official protest with the world’s governing body of football, FIFA, requesting it to scrap a previously scheduled LGBT (the LGBT movement is recognized as extremist and banned in Russia) event ahead of their 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage closing match against Egypt on June 26, The Athletic news outlet reported.
"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," The Athletic quoted a source in the FFIRI as saying in a statement.
"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," the statement continued.
"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," according to the FFIRI statement.
"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," the statement added.
