Seattle’s stadium is expected to be brimming with rainbow flags on Friday for a World Cup match between teams representing two of the most repressive countries for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
It was just a coincidence that the city’s “Pride Match” ended up as a high-stakes matchup between Iran and Egypt — with advancement from Group G still up in the air — and the move has come with plenty of pushback from both countries. But Seattle officials and its soccer community say this distinctive pairing is an opportunity to showcase the city’s inclusivity as well as the common ground that can be found at the World Cup.
