Asked whether the occasion had any impact on his team, Taremi said Iran's focus at the tournament is only on football while also speaking about the Islamic country's religious beliefs and respect for the LGBT community.
Iran captain Mehdi Taremi reacted to questions surrounding the FIFA World Cup 2026 "Pride Match" after Iran's 1-1 draw against Egypt in Seattle. Asked whether the occasion had any impact on his team, Taremi said Iran's focus at the tournament is only on football while also speaking about the Islamic country's religious beliefs and respect for the LGBT community.
The match played in Seattle was promoted as the Pride Game by local organisers with rainbow flags visible in parts of the stadium. Speaking to reporters after the game, Taremi made it clear that the occasion did not affect the team's approach on the field.
Taremi also said that while Islam does not accept homosexuality, the Iranian team respects members of the LGBT community. "Our religion doesn't accept that, but we respect all of the LGBT people. That's the idea. It's not about us, we are here to play football, we respect all of those guys," he said in comments shared by Iran's Fars News Agency. His remarks came after FIFA reportedly declined requests to ban rainbow flags during the fixture.
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