Football's governing body FIFA says an inspection visit to Iran has shown "no noteworthy operational obstacles" to lifting the country's 40-year ban and letting women attend a World Cup qualifying game next month.

After meeting government and football officials in Tehran this week, FIFA says it will work with Iran's football body to also open domestic league games to female fans.

FIFA tells Iran it is time to allow women into stadiums

FIFA wants Iran to end its ban on women entering stadiums which breaches international football statutes prohibiting discrimination.

Iran, who have qualified for five World Cup finals, including each of the last two, will host Cambodia on October 10 in their first home game of the 2022 qualifying competition.

Ahead of Iran's match at the 78,000-capacity Azadi Stadium next month, FIFA says the visit on Thursday focused on "international relations, security and ticketing matters."

Iranian officials were told of FIFA's "firm and clear position that women need to be allowed to enter football matches freely" with tickets sold to as many who wanted to attend.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in a statement he was hopeful that the Iranian football federation and government authorities had been receptive to "our repeated calls to address this unacceptable situation."

He added, "Our position is clear and firm. Women have to be allowed into football stadiums in Iran. Now is the moment to change things and FIFA is expecting positive developments starting in the next Iran home match in October."

'Blue Girl'

Global attention on the ban followed the death this month of a 29-year-old female football fan, Sahar Khodayari.

Dubbed "Blue Girl" for the colors of her favorite team Esteghlal, Khodayari died in hospital after her self-immolation outside a courthouse. She had been detained for dressing as a man to enter a football stadium in Tehran and faced six months in prison.

Khodayari's death has caused widespread outrage in Iran and internationally, prompting calls on social media for Iran's football federation to be suspended or banned by FIFA.

Critics say FIFA's own statutes hold discrimination on grounds of gender punishable by suspension or expulsion.

There were signs the situation regarding female fans in Iran was changing when a group of women was permitted to attend the second leg of the Asian Champions League final in Tehran last November, a match where Infantino was present.

Female fans, however, have been denied access to matches since. At Iran's friendly against Syria in June, women were locked out of the Azadi Stadium and detained by security forces.

(With input from AP and Reuters)