The Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI; Persian: فدراسیون فوتبال جمهوری اسلامی ایران, Federâsion-è Futbâl-è Jomhuri-ye Eslâmi-ye Irân) is the governing body for football in Iran. It was founded in 1920.[4] The federation has been a member of FIFA since 1948 and a member of the Asian Football Confederation since 1958.[citation needed]
On 23 November 2006, the federation was suspended by FIFA,[5] due to government interference in football matters. FIFA rules decree that a national football federation should remain autonomous from the national government. However, on 17 December 2006, the ban was lifted and a new Transitory Board was composed.
Iran women's national football team was briefly suspended by FIFA from international competition in 2011 for being required by the federation to wear headscarves.[7][8]
On 9 November 2018 Fatma Samoura, Secretary General of International Federation of Football Association FIFA said she would ask Iranian government to end ban on women's entry to sport stadiums.[12] On 7 August 2019, Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, prosecutor general of Iran, supporting the ban, said that it should not concern FIFA, if women in Iran can enter sports stadiums or not.[13] However, after continuous pressure from FIFA, IRNA deputy Sports Minister Jamshid Taghizadeh said, women would be allowed to enter Azadi Stadium to watch the men's World Cup 2022 qualifier match between Iran and Cambodia in October.[14]
^History of Iran’s Football Archived 2016-07-31 at the Wayback Machine, ffiri.ir
^"Asian soccer championship next year". The Straits Times. 27 May 1954."ASIAN SOCCER FINALS IN SINGAPORE May be used as Olympic series". The Singapore Free Press. 5 October 1954."Singapore to Meet Indonesia in Asian Soccer Tourney". The Straits Times. 14 June 1955. Archived from the original on 31 January 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
^"Mehdi Taj elected as head of Iran football federation". Tehran Times. 2022-08-30. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
^"Member Association – Iran". Archived from the original on June 3, 2007.
^"FIFA suspends Iran Football Federation". fifa.com. Archived from the original on May 11, 2012. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
^Clayton, Andy (24 June 2009). "Iran soccer players banned from national team after wearing green pro-opposition wristbands". NY Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on 31 August 2009. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
^"Iran women's soccer team thwarted by hijab ban". CBS News. Retrieved 2012-09-19.
^"Iran's women soccer team banned from Olympics, because of headscarves". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2012-09-19.
^"Mehrdad Pooladi saved by FIFA !". TeamMelli. Archived from the original on 2015-11-21. Retrieved 2015-09-04.
^"Team Melli unable to use players under Military Service. – TeamMelli". www.teammelli.com. Archived from the original on 25 August 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
^Erdbrink, Thomas (10 August 2017). "Iran Bans Two Soccer Stars for Playing Against Israelis". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
^FIFA To Engage With Iran To Lift Ban On Women In Stadiums
^"Iran judge: Ban on women in football stadiums does not concern FIFA". DPAInternational. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
^"Iran Agrees to Let Women Watch Soccer World Cup Qualifier". Truly. Archived from the original on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
^"Historical Football Kits - World Cup 1978". historicalkits.co.uk. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
^"شناسنامه کامل روسای تاریخ فدراسیون فوتبال :: ورزش سه". www.varzesh3.com. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
^پارسینه (4 March 2012). "سی و سومین رئیس فوتبال کیست". پارسینه-Parsine. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
^"ورزش". Etemaad.com. Retrieved 2009-12-02.
^"فدراسیون فوتبال ایران برترین فدراسیون آسیا". ffiri.ir. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
^"مهدی تاج رئیس فدراسیون فوتبال شد". varzesh3.com. Retrieved 2016-05-07.
^"Mehdi Taj resigns as head of Iran football federation". Tehran Times. 29 December 2019.
^"100 ماه ریاست کفاشیان در فدراسیون فوتبال :: ورزش سه". www.varzesh3.com. Retrieved 17 March 2018.