Iranian female footballers return home after requesting asylum in Australia

Following the Women's Asian Cup in Australia in February 2026, seven members of the Iranian women's national football team initially applied for humanitarian visas. By mid-March, most of these women chose to withdraw their asylum requests and return to Iran, including team captain Zahra Ghanbari. According to reports, three to five athletes have already returned to their home country. Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke stated that the athletes were given multiple opportunities to discuss their options before final decisions were made. While official Iranian sources claim the return is voluntary, figures such as exiled player Shiva Amini and city councilor Tina Kordrostami allege the athletes faced systematic intimidation and threats against their families. Reports also indicated that other team members were kept under strict surveillance and some sent distress signals from their transport bus at the airport. The status of the remaining members who initially sought asylum is still being processed, as the majority of the 26-member delegation departed for Malaysia on March 9.