At a fan zone, we met Egyptian fans cheering on Mexico days before their team takes on Iran. For them gay pride was irrelevant.
“Right now it’s about two teams trying to get to the next round,” Makarius Demian told us, adding that he supports gay rights. “Pride match or no Pride match, that’s not what matters.”
Not far from the big screen, an Egyptian restaurant pop-up is getting ready for the match – and for fans craving a taste of home. ‘Koshari’ is a staple Egyptian dish; a mix of lentils, chickpeas, pasta, fried onions and garlic tomato sauce.
Owners Ayman Almasri and Amani Abouammo shut their restaurant Koshari for the duration of the World Cup to open a pop-up version at the fan zone where they were serving up the vegan Egyptian street food.
They say having Egypt and Iran play in a Pride match is awkward and rooted in cultural misunderstanding.
“Here it is the culture. People are used to that,” Abouammo said. “Back home, people are not used to it. It’s this piece of confusion that each party cannot understand the other party.”
On the pitch, there is plenty at stake. Egypt come into this match with momentum after beating New Zealand, and with a real chance of winning Group G.
Iran, meanwhile, arrive in a very different mood – their tournament already shaped by politics, travel restrictions and complaints about preparation time, even if they have been allowed to get to the host city earlier than in previous matches.
As Egypt and Iran try to edge closer to the knockout stages, this match is about more than what happens on the pitch.
It is also a glimpse of what happens when a World Cup lands in a city celebrating one set of values, while two of the teams taking part arrive carrying very different ones of their own.
