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21 Iranian women’s soccer players weigh return home after 5 granted asylum
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The fate of 21 members of Iran’s women’s national soccer team remained uncertain Tuesday after five teammates were granted asylum in Australia, leaving the rest of the squad to decide whether to return to a country still reeling from war.
The Iranian team arrived in Australia for the tournament before the U.S.-Israeli attacks against Iran began on Feb. 28.
An official roster lists 26 players, along with coaches and staff. While Australian authorities confirmed that five players were transported by federal police to a secure location overnight to finalize humanitarian visas, the remaining members of the delegation have not publicly indicated whether they will seek similar protections or return to Iran.
While only five players were granted asylum, Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the offer was given to everyone on the team.
Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke poses with five Iranian women soccer players who have been granted asylum in Australia, Tuesday, March 10, 2026. (Australia Ministry of Home Affairs)
“I don’t want to begin to imagine how difficult that decision is for each of the individual women, but certainly last night it was joy, it was relief,” Burke told reporters after signing the documents. “People were very excited about embarking on a life in Australia.”
“These women are tremendously popular in Australia, but we realize they are in a terribly difficult situation with the decisions that they’re making,” he added. “The opportunity will continue to be there for them to talk to Australian officials if they wish to.”
The move comes after the team refused to sing the Iranian anthem before their first Women’s Asian Cup match early last week against South Korea — a gesture some interpreted as protest and others as mourning amid turmoil at home. The team later sang and saluted the anthem in two subsequent matches, including ahead of their final match, when they were eliminated by the Philippines.
After the team was knocked out of the tournament over the weekend, they faced potentially returning to a country still under bombardment. The team’s head coach, Marziyeh Jafari, said on Sunday the players “want to come back to Iran as soon as we can.”
Outside the team’s hotel on Australia’s Gold Coast on Tuesday, a brief commotion erupted as demonstrators gathered near a white bus believed to be transporting players. Some protesters knelt or lay in front of the vehicle, chanting “Save our girls” and waving pre-Revolution Iranian flags before the bus departed minutes later.
The five women granted asylum said they were happy for their names and pictures to be published, according to Burke, who emphasized that the players wanted to make clear that they were not political activists.
Iran players during their national anthem ahead of the Women’s Asian Cup soccer match between Iran and the Philippines in Robina, Australia, Sunday, March 8, 2026. (Dave Hunt/AAPImage via AP)
“Last night I was able to tell five women from the Iranian Women’s Soccer team that they are welcome to stay in Australia, to be safe and have a home here,” Burke said on X.
It remains unclear when the remaining players and staff will depart Australia or whether additional asylum requests will be made.
For the majority of the squad, the next move carries significant personal stakes — balancing family, national loyalty and safety as conflict continues in their home country.
“Australians have been moved by the plight of these brave women,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters. “They’re safe here and they should feel at home here.”
“They then had to consider that and do it in a way that did not present any danger to them or to their families and friends back home in Iran,” he continued.
The asylum offer came after U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday called on Australia to grant asylum to any team member who wanted it.
Trump had blasted Australia on social media, saying Australia was “making a terrible humanitarian mistake” by allowing the team to be “forced back to Iran, where they will most likely be killed.”
Supporters react towards a bus transporting Iranian woman players following their Women’s Asian Cup soccer match against the Philippines on the Gold Coast, Australia, Sunday, March 8, 2026. (Dave Hunt/AAP Image via AP)
“The U.S. will take them if you won’t,” Trump said, despite his administration’s efforts to limit the number of immigrants in the U.S. who can receive asylum for political purposes.
Just hours later, Trump praised Albanese in another post.
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“He’s on it! Five have already been taken care of, and the rest are on their way,” Trump wrote.
Albanese said Trump had called him for “a very positive conversation,” about the issue. The prime minister said he explained “the action that we’d undertaken over the previous 48 hours” to support the women.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
KARACHI: Islamabad United on Friday handed Hyderabad Kingsmen a humiliating eight-wicket defeat in the 36th match of the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 at the National Bank Stadium.
The victory, which marked United’s fifth in the ongoing eight-team tournament, propelled the three-time champions into the playoffs, joining leaders Peshawar Zalmi and 2021 champions Multan Sultans.
Set to chase a modest 81-run target, the United comfortably knocked the winning runs for the loss of just two wickets and 80 balls to spare.
The 2024 champions, however, had a contrasting start to the pursuit as they lost left-handed opener Devon Conway (zero) on the second delivery of the innings.
But Sameer Minhas and Mohsin Riaz batted sensibly to put United within touching distance as they put together 79 runs for the second wicket until Ali struck again, dismissing Riaz, who top-scored with 42 off just 18 deliveries, studded with six fours and two sixes.
Minhas, on the other hand, remained unbeaten with 27 off 20 deliveries, featuring three fours and a six, while skipper Shadab hit the winning runs in the same over with a boundary on the first delivery he faced.
For the Kingsmen, Mohammad Ali remained the solitary wicket-taker in the gruelling defeat with two scalps.
United captain Shadab Khan’s decision to field first paid dividends as his team’s bowling unit booked the new entrants for 80 in 15.5 overs.
Kingsmen got off to the worst possible start to their innings as Gleeson dismissed Maaz Sadaqat (zero) on the first delivery of the innings.
The right-arm pacer swept through their top order by getting rid of Marnus Labuschagne (five) and Saim Ayub (12) in his next two overs and brought the total down to 24/3.
Following Gleeson’s early blitz was backed by the experienced spin duo of captain Shadab and Imad Wasim as they dismantled Kingsmen’s middle and lower orders by taking three wickets each despite last match centurion Usman Khan’s grit.
The wicketkeeper batter waged a lone battle for the Kingsmen with an unbeaten 25 off 35 deliveries, during which he struck only one boundary.
Besides Usman and Saim, only Kusal Perera and Asif Mehmood, 12 each, could amass double figures against a ruthless United bowling attack.
For United, Gleeson, Imad and Shadab bagged three wickets each, while left-arm pacer Salman Mirza chipped in with one scalp.
Playing XIs
Hyderabad Kingsmen: Maaz Sadaqat, Marnus Labuschagne (c), Saim Ayub, Kusal Perera, Usman Khan (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Hassan Khan, Hunain Shah, Mohammad Ali and Asif Mehmood.
Islamabad United: Devon Conway (wk), Sameer Minhas, Mark Chapman, Mohsin Riaz, Shadab Khan (c), Haider Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Chris Green, Imad Wasim, Richard Gleeson and Salman Mirza.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday Washington had no objections to Iranian players participating in the 2026 Fifa World Cup but he added the players will not be allowed to bring with them people with ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
“Nothing from the US has told them they can’t come,” Rubio told reporters.
President Donald Trump also said his administration “would not want to affect the athletes” in comments he made at the White House.
The 2026 soccer World Cup is set to begin on June 11 across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Paolo Zampolli, a Trump envoy who has no official connection with the World Cup, had earlier suggested that Italy should replace Iran at the tournament.
“The problem with Iran would be not their athletes. It would be some of the other people they would want to bring with them, some of whom have ties to the IRGC. We may not be able to let them in but not the athletes themselves,” Rubio said.
“They can’t bring a bunch of IRGC terrorists into our country and pretend that they are journalists and athletic trainers,” Rubio added. Washington has designated the IRGC as a “foreign terrorist organisation.”
Currently there is no suggestion Iran will withdraw or be banned from the tournament that Italy missed out on.
After the start of the Iran war, Iran requested that Fifa move the team’s three group matches from the US to Mexico, which was rejected.
The US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28. Iran responded with its own strikes on Israel and Gulf states with US bases. US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed thousands and displaced millions. A fragile ceasefire in the Iran war began over two weeks ago.
VILLARREAL:
Villarreal moved closer to securing third place in La Liga with a 1-1 draw at Real Oviedo on Thursday, while another defeat left Sevilla teetering on the brink of the relegation zone.
Nicolas Pepe’s first-half penalty looked to have been enough to send Villarreal seven points clear of Atletico Madrid, but Ilyas Chaira’s strike midway through the second period ensured the spoils were shared.
Despite the result, Villarreal moved to 62 points and boast a five-point cushion over fourth-placed Atletico, who are on a four-match losing streak in the league.
Real Oviedo, who were looking to make it three wins from three, remain bottom of La Liga, six points away from safety.
Former Arsenal winger Pepe won and converted a penalty on 13 minutes to put the visitors in front.
But Oviedo levelled in the 69th minute as Ilyas’ heavily-deflected effort left goalkeeper Arnau Tenas with no chance.
Ayoze Perez came within inches of winning it for Villarreal inside the final 10 minutes but his effort came off the bar and bounced to safety from the goal-line.
Earlier, seven-time Europa League and UEFA Cup winners Sevilla sank further into the relegation battle as they went down 2-0 at Levante.
Ivan Romero netted in the 38th minute to put the 19th-placed hosts in front, before adding a second late on to secure all three points for Levante.
Sevilla languish in 17th place, one point above Alaves in the final relegation spot.
Victory for Levante gave them hope of escaping the drop zone as they climbed to 32 points — two behind the Andalusians and safety.
Rayo Vallecano put some distance between themselves and the relegation dogfight courtesy of a 1-0 win at home to Espanyol.
Sergio Camello’s 87th-minute winner took Rayo to 38 points and 11th place, one spot ahead of the Catalans on goal difference.
On Friday, Real Madrid will look to close the gap, provisionally, to Liga leaders Barcelona when they visit Real Betis.
Alvaro Arbeloa’s charges sit nine points behind their arch-rivals and know a victory early in the weekend’s round of matches will amp up the pressure on Barcelona 24 hours after the news that star Blaugrana attacker Lamine Yamal will miss the rest of the season with a hamstring injury.
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