Seven Iranian Women’s Soccer Team Members Granted Asylum In Australia

March 13, 2026 Dan Tracer

Six players and a support staff member chose to remain in Australia after facing mounting pressure and safety concerns back home.

Featured image courtesy of Australian Department of Home Affairs / AFP via Getty Images

For seven members of Iran’s women’s national soccer team, a trip to Australia for a regional tournament turned into a life-altering decision.

The players arrived in Australia to compete in the Women’s Asian Cup, expecting to return home once the tournament ended. Instead, a mix of political pressure, war at home, and fears for their safety led several members of the squad to seek refuge. In the end, six players and one support staff member accepted humanitarian visas from the Australian government, allowing them to remain in the country permanently.

The decision came after a tense and emotional series of meetings between the athletes and Australian officials.

Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the players were given private opportunities to consider their options without pressure. “All the players remaining and most of the support people were taken into interview rooms without any minders present, simply themselves and the Department of Home Affairs and an interpreter, and they were given a choice,” Burke said, according to CNN. “In that situation, what we made sure of was there was no rushing, there was no pressure.”

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. pic.twitter.com/2JQp9q9Z8W
— Tony Burke (@Tony_Burke) March 9, 2026

The Iranian team had already faced scrutiny before the asylum process began. Ahead of their opening match in the tournament, the players stood silently during Iran’s national anthem. The gesture drew immediate backlash from hardliners in Iran, including a state media presenter who called them “wartime traitors.”

The team was under close watch. Security officials linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard reportedly accompanied the squad throughout the tournament, monitoring their behavior and communications. Some players’ passports were confiscated, and movement outside the team hotel was heavily restricted.

Then the geopolitical situation changed dramatically. While the team was in Australia, the United States and Israel launched military strikes on Iran, turning parts of the country into an active conflict zone. Returning home suddenly carried new risks.

For some players, the decision was about personal safety. Families back in Iran were believed to be under pressure from authorities, and athletes who had shown even small signs of dissent feared possible retaliation.

Behind the scenes, Australian officials had already begun preparing for the possibility that players might seek asylum. After Iran was eliminated from the tournament, several athletes were discreetly contacted and informed about their options.

The athletes who chose to remain in Australia are now under government protection at an undisclosed location. Officials say the next step will be processing their transition to permanent residency.

Burke indicated that the government intends to make the process straightforward after what the players have experienced. “I have no intention, after everything that these individuals have gone through, for them to have to fight through the courts for permanent status in Australia,” he said.