Hejab strikers: the history and the relationship between women’s football and national identity in Iran

In the early days of the Islamic Republic of Iran, football was viewed as a foreign influence associated with the hostile West, particularly when it came to women’s football. However, in light of its growing popularity among the people, the regime adeptly adopted it as a tool for its agenda. Football has increasingly become a component of Iranian national identity, and women’s football and futsal in particular have opened limited but significant spaces for visibility, participation, and negotiation within the constraints of the Islamic Republic. Iranian women’s international success is seen by the regime as a victory for both Islam and the Republic, subsequently encouraging the phenomenon through budgets, endorsements from regime officials, and media coverage. Furthermore, the past decade has witnessed various protests by Iranian women as football fans. This phenomenon indicates how integral football has become to their identity. As the performance of football teams in Iran improves on an international scale, the struggle intensifies, reinforcing the connection between football and national identity.