Activists Call To Eject Iran From World Cup Finals Over Banning Female Fans
Exiled Iranian activists have called on FIFA, the international governing body for soccer and related sports, to throw Iran out of the 2022 World Cup finals – set to be held for the first time in the Middle East – after over 2,000 women who bought tickets to last week’s qualifying match against Lebanon were barred from entering the stadium in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad.
The United for Navid organization, made up of exiled Iranian athletes and activists, which was established after the execution of Iranian wrestling champion Navid Afkari in September 2020, has led the charge to get Iran should be suspended from international soccer over the issue, AFP reported. The group sent a formal request to have Iran thrown out of the World Cup over the issue to FIFA’s Deputy Secretary-General Mattias Grafström.
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Iran had previously pledged to FIFA that it would allow women to attend matches. In January, women attended a World Cup qualifier against Iraq.
Following the draw for the World Cup, set to be held in the Middle East for the first time in Doha, Qatar in November, Iran will face the United States in Group B competition.
