August 25 – Iranian women will be allowed to attend Thursday’s domestic top flight match between Esteghlal and Mes Kerman, but doubts remain over the reality behind the ticketing process and the preparedness of Iranian officials to accommodate female supporters despite pressure from FIFA.
The Iranian league kicked off behind closed doors in the second weekend of August and this week Tehran giants Esteghlal take on Mes Kerman in the Persian Gulf Pro League at the Azadi Stadium – 500 tickets were put on sale for female fans at the 78,000 capacity venue.
It is unclear how accessible those tickets were for ordinary female fans. In a statement, Open Stadiums, an advocacy group, said: “After years of advocacy we noticed the news that 500 women could enter the Azadi stadium, Tehran, for a premier league match – after October 2019 when around 2,800 women bought tickets and watched a TeamMelli match. In no other match, Iran’s FA sold tickets to women, and there was that ugly incident in Mashhad when they pepper sprayed women and children who were outside the stadium.”
In March, Iranian authorities reacted violently to female fans who had gathered outside the venue for Iran’s World Cup qualifier with Lebanon in the eastern city of Mashad. Women had previously been allowed to attend a qualifier against South Korea in 2021, but female fans accused authorities of hand-picking supporters.
The incidents in Mashad led to pressure from FIFA on Iranian authorities.
In 2018, women had been allowed to attend a friendly against Bolivia, but that same year Iran detained multiple women who tried to get into the Tehran derby between Esteghlal and Persepolis.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who attended the match, later said: “I went to the President of Iran and I asked him: ‘Please, to consider to give access to women in the stadium’,” explained Infantino. “He promised me that this will be made.”
Open Stadiums said: “As usual there was no timeline when the ticket website would open. Wednesday noon people started to notify each other on social media that there was a section for women and they are selling tickets. The first screenshots of the website showed 262 tickets available, but anyone who was trying to buy tickets faced lots of errors and difficulties.”
Iranian women have been banned from attending football matches since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Open Stadiums called on FIFA to keep up the pressure, adding: “We urge FIFA to monitor ticket system and be aware that hand-selected women in stadiums doesn’t mean stadium doors are open equally for fans.”
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1741970423labto1741970423ofdlr1741970423owedi1741970423sni@i1741970423tnuk.1741970423ardni1741970423mas1741970423
