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The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) rejected a joint request submitted by the Egyptian and Iranian federations, to prevent the entry of colored flags supporting homosexuality into the stadium of the two teams’ match scheduled for Friday evening in the American city of Seattle.
This confrontation is of great importance because the winner guarantees direct qualification to the knockout rounds. However, it has been placed in a circle of widespread controversy because it coincides with the city’s annual “Pride” celebrations, in light of the positions rejecting same-sex relations in both countries.
In an official statement, FIFA affirmed its complete rejection of restricting freedom of expression, stressing that the tournament is an inclusive event that welcomes fans from different backgrounds, and that public symbols of human rights are permitted inside stadiums as long as they comply with the code of conduct approved for the global tournament.
In a context related to the logistical arrangements for the match, the American authorities rejected a request from the Iranian national team to change the date of departure from Seattle after the end of the match. Although American officials had previously eased the restrictions imposed on the Iranian delegation’s travel by allowing the players to enter the country two days before the match instead of one day following previous protests and interviews, the new privileges were limited to early entry only, as the players’ request for hospitalization in the United States was rejected and the need for them to leave immediately after the end of the decisive match was confirmed.
Andrew Giuliani, Executive Director of the World Cup Task Force at the White House, stated that the plan was based on reviewing the progress of the Iranian team’s previous flights before giving them an additional day to arrive due to the length of the flight path to Seattle, amid intense security preparations by the city authorities to deal with any expected protests on the sidelines of the match.
