This is the latest example of women pushing back against the de facto ban on attending male football matches in Iran. In May 2016, a woman filmed herself at a football match in Tehran, having dressed up as a man in order to sneak into the stadium.

Last autumn, Iranian women gathered outside Azadi stadium – the same stadium that women sneaked into last week – in protest after they were refused entry to watch Iran’s World Cup qualifying match against Syria, despite having pre-booked tickets. Syrian women, in contrast, were allowed to enter.

In March this year, 35 women were detained by the Iranian authorities for trying to attend a football match at Azadi stadium. The Iranian government said that the women were only held temporarily, and were released once the match was over.

Interior ministry spokesman Seyyed Salman Samami said the women were not arrested, but instead transferred to a “proper place” by police. He did not elaborate on what constitutes a “proper place” for women.

Gianni Infantino, the head of international footballing federation FIFA, was in Azadi stadium watching the match when the women were detained. When asked about Iran’s ban on women attending football matches, he said he had received assurances from the Iranian president that women would “soon” be allowed into sports stadiums in the country.

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Women are disguising themselves as men to watch football matches in Iran