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

Five members of Iran’s women’s football delegation, including the team captain, have withdrawn their asylum claims in Australia and will return home after initially seeking humanitarian protection during the Asian Cup.

Three players – Mona Hamoudi, Zahra Sarbali and Zahra Meshkehkar – had previously decided to leave Australia after being granted humanitarian visas. The Islamic Republic of Iran Football Federation (FFIRI) said the trio had traveled to Malaysia to rejoin the rest of the Iranian women’s national team before returning to Tehran.

“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 said in a statement.

Australia had granted humanitarian visas to seven Iranian footballers after they applied for asylum because they feared persecution if they returned home after failing to sing the national anthem before an AFC Women’s Asian Cup match.

However, Australia said some members of the delegation had later reconsidered their decision.

“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.

Later on Sunday, Iranian state media reported that team captain Zahra Ghanbari had also withdrawn her asylum application, making her the fifth member of the delegation to change her mind completo2.

The IRNA news agency said Ghanbari would fly from Malaysia to Iran in the coming hours. Three players and a member of the backroom staff had already withdrawn their offers in recent days and traveled to Malaysia.

Rights groups have repeatedly accused Iranian authorities of pressuring athletes abroad by threatening family members or confiscating property if they defect or make statements against the Islamic republic.

Iran’s campaign for the Asian Cup had begun during a period of heightened tensions in the region following US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran that killed the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iran was eliminated from the tournament last Sunday.

Published on March 15, 2026