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Eight Players Of Iran’s Women’s Football Team May Actually Be Men

Eight Players Of Iran’s Women’s Football Team May Actually Be Men


Rumors are flying that eight of the players on Iran’s women’s football team may be men. A local football official, Mojtabi Sharifi, has told an Iranian news outlet that the eight players “have been playing with Iran’s female team without completing sex change operations.” The names of the players involved haven’t been announced to the press.

This is the third time in recent years that the gender of the team’s players has been called into question. In 2014, Football Federation chief Ahmad Hashemian said, “If these people can solve their problems through and be in a position to receive the necessary medical qualifications, they will then be able to participate in women’s football.” A report said that on Wednesday, officials announced that they’ll test the entire national team to determine whether or not they are indeed women.

The players on the Iranian team wear tracksuits with long sleeves and hijab headscarves. The sport is enjoyed widely by Iranian women, even though they are not allowed to go to the stadium to watch games between men’s football teams.