Players’ union FIFPRO expresses serious concerns for the team after they were criticised for not singing Iran’s national anthem before the first match.
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Published On 9 Mar 20269 Mar 2026
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Updated: 22 minutes agoUpdated: 22 minutes ago
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Australia has agreed to provide visas to five visiting members of Iran’s women’s football team who could face punishment upon their return home for not singing their national anthem.
Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke told a news conference on Monday that he had informed the five members “that they are welcome to stay in Australia, that they are safe here, and they should feel at home here”.
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Burke said the remaining players in the team, which is visiting the country for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 in Queensland, were in a hotel on the Gold Coast. He added that he had also offered the other team members the chance to stay in Australia.
His announcement came after United States President Donald Trump, who is currently waging war on Iran alongside ally Israel, said that he had spoken to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese about the “delicate situation” faced by the team, and that he was “on it!”.
“Five have already been taken care of, and the rest are on their way. Some, however, feel they must go back because they are worried about the safety of their families, including threats to those family members if they don’t return,” said the US president on his Truth Social network.
Trump appeared to be making reference to the five players who had, according to local media reports, “broken free” after the event held in Queensland’s Gold Coast, and were said to be under the protection of Australian Federal Police, seeking assistance from the government.
Australia’s SBS News said government sources had confirmed the reports, published late on Monday, adding that Burke had flown to Brisbane to meet with the women.
Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency said five players in Australia for the Asian Cup had secretly left the team hotel with Australian police.
Earlier, the US president had called on Albanese to “give ASYLUM” to the team, which was knocked out of the tournament on Sunday after losing their last group game against the Philippines, warning the leader that he would be making a “terrible humanitarian mistake” if he allowed them to be “forced back to Iran, where they will most likely be killed”.
The Iranians’ participation in the event started just as the US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran on February 28, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The players’ decision to stand in silence during Iran’s anthem before their first match against South Korea was labelled by a commentator on Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB as the “pinnacle of dishonour”.
Iran coach Marziyeh Jafari salutes during the national anthem at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Group A football match between Iran and the Philippines in Gold Coast, Australia, on March 8, 2026 [AAP via Reuters]
The team then sang the anthem and saluted before their second match against Australia, sparking fears among human rights campaigners that the women had been coerced by government minders, who had reportedly escorted them everywhere.
Global football players’ union FIFPRO said earlier on Monday that there were serious concerns for the welfare of the team as they prepared to return home after being labelled “wartime traitors”.
When asked earlier whether Australia would grant the players asylum, Matt Thistlethwaite, the assistant minister for foreign affairs and trade, was cited by news agency Reuters as saying that the government could not “go into individual circumstances for privacy reasons”.
Australia has not yet confirmed which members of the team have been granted asylum.