Three Iranian women’s football players return home after seeking asylum in Australia

Three members of Iran’s women’s football team, who had sought asylum in Australia, have decided to return to Iran, the Australian government said on Sunday.

Australia last week granted humanitarian visas to seven Iranian footballers after they applied for asylum amid fears of persecution if they returned home after failing to sing the national anthem at a Women’s Asian Cup match vch1.

Four of the seven members have so far decided to leave Australia. Another member changed his mind last week.

“After telling Australian officials that they had made this decision, the players were given repeated opportunities to discuss their options,” Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said in a statement.

“While the Australian Government can ensure opportunities are provided and communicated, we cannot remove the context in which players make these incredibly difficult decisions,” he added.

The Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) named the players Mona Hamoudi, Zahra Sarbali and Zahra Meshkehkar.

“After arriving in Malaysia and joining the rest of the Iranian national women’s football team, the three players will travel to Tehran in the coming days to be embraced again by their families and home countries,” FFIRI added in a statement.

The Iranian team’s campaign in the Asian Cup began just as the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, killing the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran was eliminated from the tournament last Sunday.

Published on March 15, 2026