FIFA praises Iran

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has welcomed the inclusion of women fans in stadiums in Iran.

Infantino said on his social media account, "I was very pleased to learn about the participation of women and girls in the Iran Hazfi Cup match between Nassaji Mazandaran and Shahid Ghandi Yazd at the Imam Reza Stadium in Mashhad on November 1. This is a promising development after the Iran 1st League match last December at the Naqsh-e Jahan Stadium in Isfahan, which was attended by 45,000 women and girls, and the Tehran derby in 2023, which was attended by 3,000 women and girls."

Stating that they want to make football more global and accessible, Infantino said:

"FIFA's vision is to make football accessible and available to everyone around the world. Because our game belongs to everyone who wants to experience it. I hope that these developments will continue in a positive direction as we continue our dialogue and efforts with relevant authorities around the world to make football even more global."

Meanwhile, Iran has qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.