An Iranian fan waits for the members of Iran's National team outside Imam-Khomeini Airport in Tehran, Iran, on June 27, 2018. (Xinhua/Ahmad Halabisaz)

FIFA has been "assured" by Iranian authorities that women will be able to attend the October World Cup qualifier in Tehran, Gianni Infantino, president of the body said Sunday.

A female Iranian fan died earlier this month, after setting herself on fire to protest against her arrest for attending a match.

FIFA officials were in Iran last week discussing preparations for the October 10 World Cup qualifier against Cambodia, their first home game of the 2022 qualifying competition.

"We need to have women attending - we need to push for that with respect but in a strong and forceful way and we cannot wait anymore," Infantino told a FIFA conference on women's soccer.

FIFA said it would be working with the Iranian soccer federation to develop plans for women to attend domestic matches in the Iranian league as well.

Sahar Khodayari, dubbed "Blue Girl" for the colors of her favorite team Esteghlal, died in hospital after her self-immolation outside a court where she feared being jailed for six months, having attended the match in disguise as a man.

Khodayari's death has caused widespread outrage in Iran and internationally, prompting calls on social media for Iran's soccer 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.

While foreign women have been allowed limited access to matches, Iranian women have been banned from stadiums when men's teams have been playing, since just after the 1979 Islamic revolution.

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 in 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.