Calls for bans on Iran’s participation in Qatar are rolling into FIFA ahead of the World Cup

The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar is less than a month away, but that isn’t stopping various groups from trying to get Iran banned from the tournament. On Sunday, an unnamed group of Iranian athletic individuals sent a formal request to have the country removed due to the country’s persecution of women.

Following the death of Mahsa Amini in Iranian police custody last month, protests have been going on worldwide in an attempt for women’s rights to be revised. This group, along with a Spanish law firm, is partially using the mistreatment of women in Iran as a reason for them to be banned from the World Cup, stating it is against FIFA values.

The statement reads, “The FIFA Council can and must immediately suspend Iran. FIFA shouldn’t allow participation by a country that is actively persecuting its women, athletes and children only for exercising their most basic human rights.”

“Iran’s brutality and belligerence towards its own people has reached a tipping point, demanding an unequivocal and firm disassociation from the footballing and sports world. Women have been consistently denied access to stadiums across the country and systematically excluded from the football ecosystem in Iran, which sharply contrasts with FIFA’s values and statutes.”

Although there is no actual law prohibiting women from entering stadiums in Iran, they are often denied access to the sporting events inside.

“If women are not allowed into stadiums across the country, and the Iranian Football Federation is simply following and enforcing Governmental guidelines, they cannot be seen as an independent organization and free from any form or kind of influence. This is a violation of (Article 19) of FIFA’s statutes.”

In addition to this group of individuals calling for Iran’s removal, Ukraine’s top soccer club, Shakhtar Donetsk, has called for the country’s ban, as well. This decision comes after alleged claims Iran has been directly involved in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by providing military support.

On Thursday of last week, the White House shared it had evidence of Iranian troops on the ground in Crimea to support the Russian troops. The head of Ukraine’s intelligence service, Kyrylo Budanov, also shared on Monday Russian forces had used about 330 Iranian-built “Shahed” drones as of Saturday, but Russia and Iran are both denying these claims.

While FIFA did ban Russia from the World Cup qualifying rounds, they did so claiming it was for risks to the security and integrity of its competitions. That decision was also made months before the World Cup was set to begin. With the tournament now only weeks away, it is unlikely that the organization will choose to ban Iran, but in the chance that it does, there is no guarantee that Iran would be replaced.