On Wednesday, Iranian female fans entered the Azadi stadium in Tehran to watch their team play Spain in the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The last time women were allowed to watch a football match in the country was in 1979.
BBC reported that the women arrived at the stadium to the sound of horns, chanting and waving flags, before they watched the match live on a television screen. Iran lost 1-0 to Spain after putting up a spirited fight, and the women celebrated, clicking selfies inside the ground, which went viral on social media. The Iranian football team tweeted a photo of a young woman in the stands holding the national flag.
Female fans hope they will be allowed into the stadium again on Monday for Iran’s late night match against Portugal. FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in May that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had told him that there were plans to allow women to attend football matches in the country soon.
