21 Iranian footballers considering returning home after 5 were 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 team to decide whether to return to a country still recovering from war.
The Iranian team arrived in Australia for the tournament before the US-Israeli attacks on Iran began on February 28.
An official list includes 26 players, plus coaches and staff. While Australian authorities confirmed that five players were transported by federal police to safety 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 made to all members of the team.
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Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke poses with five Iranian footballers who have been granted asylum in Australia, Tuesday, March 10, 2026. (Australian Home Office)
“I don’t want to begin to imagine how difficult that decision is for each of the women, but certainly last night it was joy, it was relief,” Burke told reporters after signing the documents. “People were very excited about starting a life in Australia.”
“These women are hugely popular in Australia, but we realize they are in a terribly difficult situation with the decisions they are making,” he added. “They will continue to have the opportunity to speak to Australian officials if they wish.”
The move comes after the team refused to sing the Iranian anthem before its Women’s Asian Cup opener early last week against South Korea, a gesture interpreted by some as protest and others as mourning amid turmoil at home. The team subsequently sang and saluted the anthem in two subsequent matches, even before their last match, when they were eliminated by the Philippines.
After the team was eliminated from the tournament over the weekend, they faced the prospect of returning to a country still under bombing. The team’s coach, Marziyeh Jafari, said Sunday that the players “want to return to Iran as soon as we can.”
Outside the team hotel on Australia’s Gold Coast on Tuesday, a brief commotion broke out as protesters gathered near a white bus believed to be transporting players. Some protesters knelt or lay down in front of the vehicle, chanting “Save our girls” and waving pre-Revolution Iranian flags before the bus departed minutes later.
The five women who were granted asylum said they were happy to have their names and photos published, according to Burke, who emphasized that the players wanted to make clear that they were not political activists.
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Iran’s players during their national anthem before 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 football team that they can stay in Australia, be safe and have a home here,” Burke said on X.
It is not yet clear when the remaining players and staff will leave Australia or whether additional asylum claims will be made.
For most of the team, the next step comes with significant personal risks: balancing family, national loyalty, and security 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 are safe here and should feel at home.”
“So they had to consider that and do it in a way that would not present any danger to themselves or their families and friends in Iran,” he continued.
The asylum offer came after US President Donald Trump on Monday called on Australia to grant asylum to any team member who wanted it.
Trump had criticized Australia on social media, saying Australia was “making a terrible humanitarian mistake” by allowing the team to be “forced to return to Iran, where they will most likely be killed.”
Supporters react to a bus carrying Iranian players after their Women’s Asian Cup soccer match against the Philippines in Gold Coast, Australia, Sunday, March 8, 2026. (Image by Dave Hunt/AAP via AP)
“America will take them if you don’t,” Trump said, despite his administration’s efforts to limit the number of immigrants in the United States who can receive asylum on political grounds.
Just hours later, Trump praised Albanese in another post.
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“It’s on! Five have already been treated and the rest are on the way,” Trump wrote.
Albanese said Trump had called him for “a very positive conversation” about the issue. The Prime Minister said he explained “the actions we had taken over the previous 48 hours” to support women.
The News contributed to this report.