US President Donald Trump has said that Australia agreed to grant asylum to some members of Iran’s visiting women’s national football team, whose players refused to sing the national anthem during the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 in Queensland.
“I just spoke to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, of Australia, concerning the Iranian National Women’s Soccer Team. He’s on it! Five have already been taken care of,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social network on Monday, less than two hours after urging Australia to take them in.
Trump added that “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.” He warned that returning the players to Iran could put their lives at risk.
Albanese described his conversation with Trump as “very positive,” emphasising that Australian authorities have extended humanitarian support to the players and that assistance remains available for those who request it.
“It is up to them. But we say to them, if you want our help, help is here, and we will provide that,” Albanese said.
On Tuesday, five Iranian players, captain Zahra Ghanbari, midfielders Fatemeh Pasandideh, Zahra Sarbali Alishah, Mona Hamoudi, and defender Atefeh Ramezanizadeh, were formally granted humanitarian visas, allowing them to stay in Australia.
The players have also been offered the chance to train with Brisbane Roar, giving them continuity in football while their status is resolved.
The remaining members of the Iranian squad were offered similar protection, though some remain under surveillance by team minders and are reportedly hesitant to accept the offer.
Human rights groups, including refugee advocates like former Socceroo Craig Foster, called for independent legal advice and the ability to seek asylum safely and privately.
“We have a duty of care to these women now, from between now and when they may leave, that they’re all provided with that opportunity,” Foster said on the ABC.
‘Wartime traitors’
The players’ refusal to sing Iran’s national anthem before their opening match against South Korea was widely reported in Iranian media as an act of defiance, sparking the label of “wartime traitors.”
They later sang the anthem in matches against Australia and the Philippines, raising fears they may have been coerced by government minders.
International football union FIFPRO and advocacy organisations highlighted the significant risks athletes face at major sporting events, particularly in the context of the ongoing Middle East war that began on February 28, with US and Israeli air strikes in Iran.
Daniel Ghezelbash, director of the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, said: “It is well-documented that major sporting events enliven significant human rights risks, and a situation like the Iranian women’s team was a foreseeable eventuality.”
The five players granted visas now have a pathway to permanent residency, while support remains available to any other members of the team who choose to stay.
