Fifa say Iran will let women watch football

MILAN • Fifa president Gianni Infantino yesterday said that the world football governing body had been "assured" by Iranian authorities that women will be able to attend a World Cup qualifier in Teheran next month.

The organisation had demanded Iran allow women free unlimited access to stadiums following the "Blue Girl" incident, which saw a 29-year-old woman die on Sept 9 from burns suffered through self-immolation after being arrested for trying to access a football stadium.

Infantino told a Fifa conference on women's football in Milan that "we need to push for that with respect, but in a strong and forceful way and we cannot wait any more".

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

France 2019 hailed as best women's Cup

GENEVA • Fifa's Technical Study Group (TSG) yesterday hailed this year's women's World Cup in France as the best in the competition's history, with the tournament showcasing the tactical, technical and physical improvements in the women's game.

World football's governing body released its analysis of the tournament in a 105-page report which their coaching and player development department head Branimir Ujevic said had confirmed the game's holistic development.

The United States won a record-extending fourth World Cup with a 2-0 victory over the Netherlands in the final in July, and TSG head April Heinrichs added that it "was the most fluid women's World Cup of all time as players showed a great ability to read the game, and perform the right movements with and without the ball".

REUTERS