Female football fans in Iran were able to sit in a stadium for the first time in the country to watch the action and cheer for their favorite team during the FIFA World Cup Qualifier match between Iran and Cambodia at Azadi Stadium in Tehran, October 11, 2019. /VCG Photo

The Islamic republic has barred female spectators from stadiums for around 40 years, since the Islamic revolution in 1979, with clerics arguing they must be shielded from the masculine atmosphere and sight of semi-clad men. /VCG Photo

But FIFA threatened to suspend the country over its controversial male-only audience policy. /VCG Photo

The tickets for the match sold out within minutes, and more than 3,000 Iranian women crammed into a special section of the stadium to watch the match. /VCG Photo