The future of 21 members of Iran’s women’s national soccer team remains uncertain after five teammates were granted asylum in Australia, leaving the rest of the squad to decide whether to return to their home country.
The team from Iran arrived in Australia for an international tournament shortly before the conflict involving the United States and Israel against Iran escalated in late February.
According to the official roster, the delegation included 26 players along with coaches and staff. Australian authorities confirmed that five players were taken by federal police to a secure location overnight to finalize humanitarian visas.
The remaining players have not publicly announced whether they will also seek asylum or return to Iran.
Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the option to request asylum was offered to every member of the team.
“I don’t want to begin to imagine how difficult that decision is for each of the individual women,” Burke told reporters. “Last night it was joy, it was relief. People were very excited about embarking on a life in Australia.”
The situation drew international attention earlier in the tournament when the Iranian players refused to sing their national anthem before their opening Women’s Asian Cup match against South Korea. Some observers interpreted the move as a protest, while others suggested it was a moment of mourning as conflict intensified back home.
The team later sang and saluted the anthem in their following matches, including their final game of the tournament when they were eliminated by the Philippines.
After their elimination, the players faced the possibility of returning to a country still experiencing military conflict. The team’s head coach, Marziyeh Jafari, said earlier that the squad initially wanted to return to Iran as soon as possible.
Outside the team’s hotel on Australia’s Gold Coast, demonstrations also took place as activists gathered near a bus believed to be carrying players. Some protesters knelt in front of the vehicle and chanted “Save our girls,” while waving pre-Revolution Iranian flags before the bus eventually departed.
The five players who received asylum allowed their names and photos to be released, and officials said they wanted to emphasize that they do not consider themselves political activists.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australians had been deeply moved by the situation facing the athletes.
“They’re safe here and they should feel at home here,” he said, noting that the players also had to consider the safety of family members and friends still in Iran when making their decisions.
The issue also drew comments from U.S. President Donald Trump, who urged Australia to offer asylum to any players who requested it. Trump said the United States would be willing to take them if Australia refused.
Later, Trump praised Australia’s government after the humanitarian visas were granted.
For the rest of the team, however, the decision remains deeply personal — balancing loyalty to their country, concern for family back home, and the possibility of starting a new life abroad while the conflict in Iran continues.
