Seven Iranian Women’s Soccer Players Remain in Australia as Team Returns Home

By Emmanuel Bobby

Seven members of Iran’s national women’s soccer team have remained in Australia while the rest of the squad travels back to Iran amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East, according to Australian officials.

The team had traveled to Australia to compete in the Asian Women’s Cup before the United States and Israel began military strikes against Iran on Feb. 28. Iran was eliminated from the tournament over the weekend.

Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said six of the women have accepted humanitarian visas allowing them to remain in Australia permanently. A seventh player, however, ultimately decided to return to Iran.

“In Australia, people are able to change their mind, people are able to travel and so we respect the context in which she has made that decision,” Burke told lawmakers in Canberra.

Burke did not identify the player. She had initially accepted assistance from the Australian government along with another individual — a player and a support staff member — on Tuesday night, in addition to five others who had been granted asylum a day earlier. After speaking with teammates who had already left the country, she chose to return to Iran and was advised to contact the Iranian embassy to arrange travel.

“My officials made sure that this was her decision and every question you would want asked was asked,” Burke said.

Following the decision, the remaining women were moved to another location for their safety after their whereabouts became known.

Government officials had approached the team members individually at Sydney Airport on Tuesday night as the delegation prepared to leave the country. Burke said interpreters were present while the athletes were privately offered the option of remaining in Australia.

“We made sure there was no rushing, no pressure,” Burke said. “Everything was about ensuring the dignity for those individuals to make a choice.”

No additional players accepted the offer during what Burke described as emotional conversations, during which some athletes contacted their families in Iran.

“I can’t begin to imagine what people have been weighing up,” he said.

The situation drew international attention after the Iranian players remained silent during their national anthem before their opening match on March 2, an act widely interpreted as either a protest or a sign of mourning.

“That silence was heard as a roar all around the world,” Burke said.

The players later sang the anthem during their next two matches on Thursday and Sunday. They have not publicly commented on the war or their actions during the tournament.

Supporters in Australia, including members of the Iranian diaspora who feared the players could face punishment upon returning home, gathered outside the team’s hotel and later blocked the team bus as it departed for the airport in the Gold Coast. Demonstrators also appeared at Sydney Airport during the team’s departure.

The situation also drew attention from U.S. President Donald Trump, who praised Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for handling what he described as a delicate situation and said the United States would be willing to accept the players if Australia did not.

Tournament organizer the Asian Football Confederation said Wednesday that the Iranian team is currently staying at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, after flying from Sydney.

“The AFC will provide all necessary support to the team during their stay until their onward travel arrangements are confirmed,” the organization said in a statement, adding that it will continue to prioritize the safety and welfare of players and officials.

Iranian officials have dismissed concerns that the players could face repercussions after returning home.

“Iran awaits you with open arms. Come home,” Esmaeil Baqaei, spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, wrote Tuesday on the social media platform X.

However, Mehdi Taj, head of Iran’s soccer federation, accused Australian authorities of effectively kidnapping the players and criticized the handling of the situation. He also warned that the episode could complicate Iran’s participation in the upcoming FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted this summer by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

“Considering the problems created for female footballers, if the outlook for the World Cup is like this, no reasonable person would agree to be sent to the U.S.,” Taj said, according to Iranian state media.