Both countries are predominantly Muslim, and homosexuality is illegal in Iran and criminalized in Egypt, but Hana Tadesse, a spokesperson for Seattle's World Cup organizing committee, said on June 24 that FIFA considers the rainbow flag a statement of human rights and will allow fans to wave it inside Lumen Field.

In December 2025, the soccer federations of both Iran and Egypt complained after it became clear that Seattle's World Cup organizing committee wanted to use the match as a "once-in-a-lifetime moment to showcase and celebrate LGBTQIA+ communities in Washington."

As Chris Summers reports for Epoch Times, under FIFA's World Cup stadium policy, it is prohibited for fans to bring in certain controversial political items.

"Any materials, including but not limited to banners, flags, flyers, apparel, and other paraphernalia that are of a political, offensive, and/or discriminatory nature, containing wording, symbols, or any other attributes aimed at discrimination of any kind against a country, private person, or group on account of race, skin color, ethnicity, national or social origin, gender, disability, language, religion, political or any other opinion, birth, wealth or any other status, sexual orientation, or any other grounds," according to the policy.

When Iran played its first game, against New Zealand in Inglewood, California, on June 15, The Epoch Times reported that FIFA had banned Iranian fans who opposed the regime in Tehran from flying the country's pre-1979 flag—which bears a lion-and-sun standard—inside the stadium.

On June 25, before the Iranian soccer team held a news conference in Seattle, Daniel Marin, FIFA's executive director of public relations, read a statement on behalf of the Iranian team.

"This Islamic Republic of the Iran Football Federation has asked us to inform the media that they are only willing to answer questions in relation to the game," Marin said.

"We fully respect the right of all journalists to ask questions. In this case, we ask you respect the rights of the federation here today to only answer questions in relation to the team, the tactics, the match, and so on."