FIFA has received a letter requesting Iran’s ban from the upcoming World Cup in Qatar. The call even came from a group within the Middle Eastern country.
The group, through a law firm based in Spain, asked FIFA President Gianni Infantino to suspend the country due to a “deeply unpleasant” situation inside Iran for women. They also say that men are not safe inside the country either.
“Iran’s brutality and belligerence towards its own people has reached a tipping point, demanding an unequivocal and firm disassociation from the world of football and sports,” the statement read. “FIFA’s historic abstinence from political quagmires has often been tolerated when these situations do not spill over into the football arena.”
“The situation of women in Iran is deeply unpleasant in the broader political and socio-economic framework. Tragically, the same evils and mistakes are perpetuated in the sphere of football, which means that football, which should be a safe place for everyone, is not a safe space for women or men.
“Women have been consistently denied access to stadiums across the country and systematically excluded from the football ecosystem in Iran, which is in sharp contradiction to FIFA’s values and statutes.”
They request sanction for Iran in the World Cup
FIFA rules state that teams cannot exclude any minority group from attending games. In addition, the governments of the FIFA states cannot administer the football federation of that state. Despite these rules, FIFA has not yet made a decision on the matter.
The sport’s governing body has even previously stated that they realize their responsibility in these matters. In a statement, FIFA said they “will send a clear message that discrimination in any form will not be tolerated.”
FIFA has been under pressure for months to block Iran from the tournament. Open Stadiums, a rights protection group, also previously called for a ban.
Currently, Iran faces the USMNT on November 29 in their group stage final. It would potentially be the last group stage match for both teams at the World Cup.
PHOTO: IMAGO / Xinhua
