FIFA President Gianni Infantino asks Iran to ensure that women are allowed into stadiums for 2022 World Cup Qualifiers

FIFA President Gianni Infantino had asked Iran to ensure that women are allowed to attend the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. Now he’s expressing disappointment that the country has reneged on its commitments. In November 2018, Infantino was in Tehran for the AFC Champions League final when Iranian women were allowed to watch Iranian club Persepolis play Kashima Antlers of Japan. But things have changed since then. [caption id=“attachment_6117971” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Reuters[/caption] Infantino wrote this week to Iranian Football Federation President Mehdi Taj to say it’s “all the more disappointing that it was not possible to keep up the positive momentum and to continue with similar progress.” In a letter seen by The Associated Press, Infantino highlights a 6 June game between Iran and Syria when “the gates were closed to female spectators and when it would appear, a number of women seeking to attend the match were detained by security forces for a number of hours.” Infantino says he wants ‘concrete steps’ from the federation by 15 July “to ensure that all Iranian and foreign women who wish to do so will be allowed to buy tickets and to attend the matches for the 2022 World Cup Qualifiers which begin in September.”