FIFA Chief Hails Access For Iranian Female Football Fans To Iran Stadium

In a huge win for women’s rights, Iranian female football fans were allowed to stadiums on Thursday to watch men’s games after decades of exclusion. Gianni Infantino, President of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), hailed access for women to Iranian stadiums.

On Thursday, a photo of three female fans inside the Azadi Stadium in Tehran circulated online. Around 3,000 tickets were set to be made available for female football fans. The campaign group Open Stadiums, a movement of Iranian women seeking to end discrimination and let women attend stadiums, said, “Historical day for women’s rights activists and the fight for equal access to public spaces will continue.”

FIFA chief hails access for women to Iran stadium

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said, “Thanks to the ongoing dialogue between FIFA and the Islamic Republic of Iran Football Federation, progress is being made.”

He revealed that he discussed the development of women’s football in Iran with Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi in September. He cited his own role in the campaign to allow Iranian women to the stadium. He also said that he would be visiting Iran to meet Iranian President Raisi once again “to further discuss football-related matters.”

Last year, Open Stadiums and another group of former Iranian athletes urged FIFA to ban Iran from the World Cup because women were not allowed to watch men’s football matches.

The FIFA Chief welcomed the news that women had been allowed into Thursday’s Iran Pro League match as a sign of its success. He said that “3,000 women attended the Tehran derby between Persepolis FC and Esteghlal FC.”

Female fans not allowed to enter Iran stadium

Last year, female fans were not allowed to watch Iran’s World Cup qualifying game against Lebanon in Mashhad, a city in Iran. They were pepper-sprayed outside the stadium.

The calls to ban Iran from the World Cup also came after the death of Mahsa Amini. People urged FIFA to ban Iran from the World Cup after Mahsa Amini’s death while under the morality police’s detention for allegedly disobeying the country’s strict dress code.

Last month, the Sports Minister of Iran, Kioumars Hashemi, sacked the country’s deaf sports federation chief after women athletes competed in the competition without wearing hijabs. 

The images of a foreign woman athlete without a compulsory hijab at a tournament in Tehran circulated online. Iranian media published images of a woman athlete wearing shorts and a tight tank top at the Asian Deaf Athletics Championships tournament. 

The Sports Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Kioumars Hashemi, became angry and removed Mehran Tishehgaran from his position.

Earlier this year, the head of Iran’s athletics federation resigned after women players competed without wearing hijabs.