(KRON) – Iranian women finally got to witness a FIFA soccer match in person for the first time since 1981. Women could be seen waving flags, taking selfies and screaming loud, as they took in every moment.
Women arrived at Tehran’s Azadi stadium on Thursday to cheer along Iran’s national soccer team as they played a World Cup qualifier against Cambodia.
The women entered through a separate parking area and were confined to a specific section in the stadium.
FIFA worked with the Iranian authorities to overcome the ban on women entering stadiums for men’s games. A ban that’s been in place since the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
In a statement released earlier this week FIFA stated, “Women need to be allowed to enter football matches freely.”
This comes after a 30-year-old woman named Sahar Khodayari, died in a protest last month after she set herself on fire after being detained for attempting to sneak into Azadi Stadium.
After the soccer match, FIFA said, “There is no stopping or turning back now. History teaches us that progress comes in stages and this is just a beginning of a journey.”