Iran women’s soccer team returns home after asylum bids in Australia

Earlier this month, Australia granted asylum To five members of the Iranian women’s football team who were visiting the country for a tournament when the United States and Israel launched a joint military operation against the country. But the remaining members of the team faced uncertainty.

Following the team’s elimination from the Women’s Asian Cup, most of the players who initially sought asylum later changed their minds.

All but two returned to Iran on Wednesday after their asylum offers in Australia were rejected, according to unconfirmed reports in Iranian state media.

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In the video circulating on social media, football players are seen entering Iran after a plane landed in Türkiye. The same athletes were previously seen traveling across the country by bus shortly after the plane returned to Iran. It was reported that many officials were present at the border when the football team arrived at the border.

Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh were two members of the Iran national team who chose to stay in Australia. Both train with the Brisbane Roar club.

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The Iranian team arrived in Australia for the tournament shortly before the start of the war on 28 February. The team initially gained global attention when some players remained silent during the Iranian national anthem before their first match.

Iranian women’s football team players are waiting to depart from Iğdır airport and reach Doğubeyazıt on March 18, 2026. The Iran women’s national football team landed at Istanbul Airport on March 17, 2026, after some members of the delegation withdrew their asylum requests to Australia. (Ali İHSAN ÖZTÜRK / AFP via Getty Images)

As the team was eliminated from the tournament and faced the prospect of returning to a country under bombardment, calls grew for the Australian government to offer the women asylum. Iranian groups in Australia and President Donald Trump were among those voicing concerns about women’s safety.

Iran’s first vice president, Mohammad Reza Aref, last week rejected claims that women would be unsafe if they returned to their homes, saying the country “welcomes their children with open arms and the government guarantees their safety.”

Trump has also commented on Iran’s men’s team’s participation in the World Cup, suggesting last week that the team was “delighted” to compete in the United States after qualifying but that it might not be “appropriate.”

Iranian players pose for a team photo before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Asia region qualifiers Group A football match between Iran and North Korea at the Azadi Sports Complex in Tehran on June 10, 2025. (ATTA KENARE/AFP)

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“The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to the World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate for them to be there for their own lives and safety,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on March 12.

The Iran men’s team is scheduled to play against New Zealand on June 15 in Inglewood, California. They will also face Belgium on June 21 and finish group play against Egypt in Seattle on June 26. The tournament will be hosted by Canada, Mexico and the USA from June 11 to July 19.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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