Arabic version: تزايد المخاوف بشأن عودة فريق كرة القدم النسائي الإيراني بأمان
Concerns and uncertainty have grown over the return home of the Iranian women’s football team from Australia during the Israeli-United States war and alleged threats to their safety. Iran were knocked out of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 on Sunday when they lost their last group game against the Philippines in Gold Coast, Australia. However, it’s not the team’s on-field performance but their journey home that has caused a stir as the global footballers union and rights activists are urging the Australian government and tournament organisers to extend the players’ stay in the host nation.
According to Al Jazeera, FIFPRO, which represents professional footballers globally, said on Monday that there were serious concerns for the welfare of the Iranians as they prepared to return home after being labelled “wartime traitors” for refusing to sing their national anthem before an Asian Cup match. Beau Busch, FIFPRO’s president for Asia and Oceania, said the union had been unable to contact the players to discuss whether they would like to seek asylum in Australia. “The reality at the moment is that we’re unable to get in touch with the players. That’s incredibly concerning. That’s not a new thing. That’s really been since the repression really dialled up in February, January,” Busch told reporters in Australia. “So we’re really concerned about the players, but our responsibility right now is to do everything within our power to try and make sure that they’re safe.”
Busch said the organisation was working with FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Australian government to ensure that “every bit of pressure is applied” to protect the players and give them “agency around what happens next”. A petition signed by more than 66,000 people is urging the Australian government to ensure the players, who are still in Queensland, do not leave “while credible fears for their safety remain”.
While the players have not publicly aired any concerns for their own safety, their head coach, Marziyeh Jafari, has been quoted as saying by Australian media that the players want to return to Iran “as soon as we can”. “I want to be with my country and home. … We are eager to come back,” the Australian Associated Press quoted Jafari as saying in a postmatch news conference. Activists and members of the Iranian community in Australia have voiced fears over the team’s wellbeing after the players saluted and sang the national anthem before their second and third games in the Asia Cup. It was in contrast to their decision to remain silent as the anthem played before their first game and prompted FIFPRO to urge AFC and FIFA to protect the Iranian team after they were labelled “wartime traitors” by an Iranian state television presenter.
Iran’s team has no further officially scheduled training or appearances in the tournament, which concludes with a final on March 21.
