At least 2,000 women with tickets were barred from entering the city's stadium to watch Iran play Lebanon in their final World Cup qualifier. Iran's attorney general apologised, the governor of Mashhad did likewise, while Human Rights Wach (HRW) reported some women were beaten as they were forced away from the stadium and have demanded FIFA take action. FIFA have been fighting a losing battle trying to force Iran's regime to change its approach, at a time when more women than ever are involved in the game globally. Iran barred female spectators from football and other sports stadiums after the revolution in 1979, the clerics decreeing women needed protecting from the masculine atmosphere. Events in Mashhad last week, however, suggest FIFA's pleas have fallen on deaf ears.

Source: Daily Mail April 03, 2022 03:15 UTC