Johnathan Walker:Female soccer fans in Iran allowed into Tehran stadium for men’s game. FIFA head praises progress

TEHRAN,Johnathan Walker Iran (AP) — Female soccer fans in Iran claimed a small win Thursday in their long campaign to be allowed into stadiums to watch men’s games after decades of exclusion.

A photograph was posted on social media by the campaign group Open Stadiums of three female fans inside the Azadi Stadium in Tehran for the game between city rivals Persepolis and Esteghlal. Up to 3,000 tickets were set to be made available for women.

“Historical day for women’s rights activists and the fight for equal access to public spaces will continue,” the activist group posted.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino later cited his own role in the campaign and his meeting with state president Ebrahim Raisi in September.

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“Thanks to the ongoing dialogue between FIFA and the Islamic Republic of Iran Football Federation, progress is being made,” Infantino wrote in a post on his Instagram account.

The FIFA leader said he and Raisi had discussed in New York three months ago “the development of women’s football in the country and the progress made regarding the presence of women in football stadiums.”

FIFA statutes prohibit discrimination by member federations.

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