The ongoing conflict in Iran and the Middle East has caused the Iranian women’s football team to remain in Australia despite being knocked out of the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup.
The Iranian women’s national football team continues to remain in Australia after its exit from the Women’s Asian Cup due to the ongoing conflict happening in Iran.
FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have engaged in discussions regarding the women’s team’s flight back to Iran, with no flights currently booked at the moment.
An anonymous source told The Athletic that FIFA and the AFC’s discussions have been “fast-moving and fluid” and are in talks of potentially extending the teams’ stay in Australia for their own safety.
The Iranian women’s team has been in Australia before the US and Israel took military action against Iran. The team was not in the country on 28 February when Iran’s Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed.
Having lost all three of their group stage games at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, the team would have typically returned back to Iran but due to the ongoing conflict in Iran and the Middle East, no flights have been confirmed.
During the Iranian national anthem for the team’s 2 March game against South Korea, the Iranian players opted not sing the national anthem. This was viewed as an act of protest against the Iranian regime, according to Iranian TV Presenter Mohammad Reza Shahbazi.
“Let me just say one thing: traitors during wartime must be dealt with more severely,” said Shahbazi according to footage verified by The Athletic.
“Anyone who takes a step against the country under war conditions must be dealt with more severely.”
Ali Bornaei, an Iranian journalist based in Germany, shared via X that Shahbazi is a security anchor of a state-run TV network. Bornaei believes the women’s team will “seek asylum in South Korea until the Islamic Republic is overthrown”.
The men’s team made a similar gesture during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar by deciding not to sing the national anthem.
The Athletic revealed the source believes there are now safety concerns for the Iranian women’s players at the Australian government, which has been in discussions with the President of the player’s union – FIFPro – for Asia and Oceania, Beau Busch.
“There may be players who want to return,” said Busch. “There may be some players within the group who would like to seek asylum, or would like to stay in Australia for longer. There may be some who are incredibly concerned about the potential journey home.
“Whether they’re able to stay here in Australia or if they do want to return, how do we do that safely? Then obviously ensuring that they’re incredibly safe when they get back to Iran. That’s going to be really difficult, but FIFA has a statutory obligation in relation to human rights to ensure that they exert that leverage, and we expect them to do so.”
No Iran representation at Winter Paralympics
The ongoing conflict in Iran and the Middle East has impacted the world of sports, throwing into question the men’s national football teams participation at the 2026 World Cup in the US this summer.
The latest impact sees Iranian cross-country skier, Aboulfazl Khatibi Mianaei, withdrawn from the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics just hours before the opening ceremony on 6 March.
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) confirmed Mianaei’s withdrawal on 6 March due to his inability to “travel safely to Italy”.
Andrew Parsons, President of the IPC, expressed his disappointment of no Iran participation at this year’s Winter Paralympics and revealed the organisation has been “working tirelessly behind-the-scenes” in finding safe alternatives for Iran delegates to attend the games.
“It is really disappointing for world sport and especially for Aboulfazl that he is unable to travel safely to compete at his third Paralympic Winter Games at Milano Cortina 2026,” said Parsons.
“Since the conflict began on Saturday, the IPC and Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee have been working tirelessly behind-the-scenes with the NPC and national ski federation to find alternative routes for the safe passage of the Iran delegation to the games. However, with the conflict ongoing across the Middle East, the risk to human life is too high.
“With communication systems down across much of Iran, dialogue with NPC Iran and the national ski federation has not been easy. We were informed by NPC Iran that safe passage to Milano Cortina 2026 was not possible, and, as a result, they would not be able to come to the games.”
