First Iranian woman referee appointed for men’s competitions

TEHRAN, Mar. 05 (MNA) – Mahsa Ghorbani has been appointed as one of three video assistant referee (VAR) officials in the Tehran derby between Persepolis and Esteghlal.

Ghorbani will be the first Iranian woman referee for a men’s match.

International referee Ghorbani has previously officiated in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup and 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

The Tehran derby will be held on March 13 in Tehran’s Azadi Stadium.

The VAR is a match official in association football who assists the referee by reviewing decisions using video footage and providing advice to the referee based on those reviews.