The Iran women’s national futsal team has already made its mark on the global scene by winning gold at the first Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Futsal Championship, held last September in Malaysia. Now, two members of the squad, Fereshteh Karimi and Farzaneh Tavasoli, have joined the elite circle of nominees for FutsalPlanet’s prestigious Annual Futsal Awards. Karimi, who notched the lone goal in the AFC championship match against powerhouse Japan, has been nominated for Best Woman Player of the World, while teammate Tavasoli is in the running for the newly added category of Best Woman Goalkeeper of the World. The recognition of these two outstanding futsalers is not just well-deserved but it’s also inspiring, especially given the challenges Iranian female players face in their home country. Their dedication to the game—and, not least, their crazy impressive skills—show us a glimpse of how women are shaping the worldwide futsal phenomenon.
Check out the highlights of the Iran vs. Japan AFC Futsal final, which include Karimi’s game-winning goal and the superb goalkeeping work of Tavasoli.
