SYDNEY, Australia — Three more members of the Iranian women’s soccer team have left their asylum in Australia and decided to return home, Canberra said Sunday.
Seven members of Iran’s visiting soccer delegation competing in the Women’s Asian Cup had sought sanctuary in Australia after they were branded “traitors” at home for refusing to sing the national anthem.
Only three of them will now remain in Australia, after another member of the group had second thoughts earlier in the week.
“Overnight, three members of the Iranian Women’s Football Team made the decision to join the rest of the team on their journey back to Iran,” Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said in a statement.
“After telling Australian officials they had made this decision the players were given repeated chances to talk about their options,” he said.
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The Australian government gave team members the opportunity to seek refuge but players faced “incredibly difficult decisions,” the minister said.
In this photo supplied by Australia’s Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke’s office, the Minister Tony Burke, center, poses in an undisclosed location with five Iranian soccer players who were granted asylum in Australia on March 10, 2026. (Australia Ministry of Home Affairs via AP)
The sports drama has unfolded against the backdrop of war in the Middle East unleashed by US-Israeli air strikes on Iran.
Rights groups have repeatedly accused Iranian authorities of pressuring athletes abroad by threatening relatives or with the seizure of property if they defect or make statements against the Islamic Republic.
“The Australian Government has done everything we could to make sure these women were provided with the chance for a safe future in Australia,” Burke said. “Australians should be proud that it was in our country that these women experienced a nation presenting them with genuine choices and interacted with authorities seeking to help them.”
Iranian state broadcaster IRIB said Saturday that three team members — two players and one member of the technical staff — had given up their asylum application and were currently heading to Malaysia.
Members of Iran’s women’s soccer team arrive at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport after taking part in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026 tournament in Australia, in Sepang, Malaysia, on March 11, 2026. (Mohd RASFAN / AFP)
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has lauded the bravery of the women, vowing they would be welcomed with open arms.
But Iran’s governing soccer body has accused Australia of kidnapping the players and forcing them to forsake their home nation against their will.
Iranian players fell silent as the national anthem played ahead of a tournament match in Australia, an act seen as a symbol of defiance against the Islamic Republic.
A presenter on Iranian state TV branded the players “wartime traitors,” fueling fears they could face persecution, or worse, if they returned home.
Iran’s Zahra Sarbali, top, and Philippines’ Malea Cesar battle for the ball during the Women’s Asian Cup soccer match between Iran and the Philippines in Robina, Australia, March 8, 2026. (Dave Hunt/AAP Image via AP)
Although the side sang Iran’s anthem — an ode to the glory of the Islamic Republic — in later matches, human rights activists warned the damage was done.
Five players, including captain Zahra Ghanbari, slipped away from the team hotel under the cover of darkness to claim asylum in Australia.
Two more team members — a player and a support staffer — claimed asylum before the team flew out of Sydney on Tuesday evening.
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