Iran faced disappointment after losing on the field to Spain in their World Cup group stage match on June 20, but off the field the women of Iran scored a major victory in Tehran.
Social media posts showed that women were possibly for the first time allowed to enter Tehran’s Azadi Stadium to watch a broadcast of the Iran-Spain match in Kazan, Russia.
Since 1980, the Islamic republic has banned women from watching men’s sporting events, and those who break the rules can be arrested, fined or even jailed.
Videos and photos shared from inside the Azadi Stadium show female soccer fans watching the game alongside men in the stadium – cheering, donning face paint, blowing vuvuzelas and waving the national flags. The official Twitter account of Iran’s national team posted a photo of a female spectator in the stadium’s stands holding an Iranian flag, with a caption: “Azadi Stadium, now!”
A goal for Diego Costa secured Spain’s 1-0 victory over Iran.
In April, a group of women in Iran put on fake facial hair and dressed as men in order to watch an Iran Pro League soccer match at Azadi Stadium. Credit: @karabiamir via Storyful
