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Australia has granted asylum to five players from the Iranian women’s soccer team who were visiting for a tournament when the US-Israeli attacks on Iran began.
Australian Federal Police officers transported the five women from their hotel in Gold Coast, Australia, to a “safe location” on Tuesday after they made asylum applications to meet with Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke and finalize the processing of their humanitarian visas.
“Last night I was able to tell five women from the Iranian women’s football team that they were welcome to come to Australia, to be safe and have a home here,” Burke said on X.
The move comes after the team refused to sing the Iranian anthem before its first Women’s Asian Cup match early last week against South Korea, although it later sang and saluted the anthem in two subsequent matches, including before its final match, when it was eliminated by the Philippines.
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Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke poses with five Iranian footballers who have been granted asylum in Australia, Tuesday March 10, 2026. (Australian Department of Home Affairs)
“I don’t want to begin to imagine how difficult this decision is for each of the women, but last night it was joy, it was relief,” Burke told reporters after signing the documents. “People were very excited to start life in Australia.”
All five women said they were happy to have their names and photos published, according to Burke, who stressed that the players wanted to make it clear that they were not political activists.
The Iranian team arrived in Australia for the tournament before the start of the war with Iran on February 28.
After the team was eliminated from the tournament this weekend, they faced returning to a country still under bombing. The team’s head coach, Marziyeh Jafari, said on Sunday that the players “want to return to Iran as soon as possible.”
An official team roster named 26 players, along with Jafari and other coaches.
Although only five players were granted asylum, Burke said the offer was made to everyone on the team.
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Iranian players during their national anthem before the Women’s Asian Cup soccer match between Iran and the Philippines in Robina, Australia, Sunday, March 8, 2026. (Dave Hunt/AAPImage via AP)
“These women are extremely popular in Australia, but we realize they are in a terribly difficult situation with the decisions they are making,” Burke said. “They will still have the opportunity to speak to Australian officials if they wish.”
It is still unclear when the remaining players will leave Australia.
“Australians have been moved by the plight of these courageous women,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters. “They are safe here and they should feel at home here.”
“They then had to think about this and do it in a way that posed no danger to themselves or to their families and friends back in Iran,” he continued.
The asylum offer came after US President Donald Trump on Monday called on Australia to grant asylum to any member of the team who wanted it.
Trump had lambasted Australia on social media, saying Australia was “making a terrible humanitarian mistake” by allowing the team to be “forced back to Iran, where they will most likely be killed.”
Supporters react to a bus carrying Iranian players after their Women’s Asian Cup soccer match against the Philippines on the Gold Coast, Australia, Sunday, March 8, 2026. (Dave Hunt/AAP Image via AP)
“The United States will accept them if you don’t,” Trump said, despite his administration’s efforts to limit the number of immigrants in the United States who can obtain asylum for political purposes.
Hours later, Trump praised Albanese in another post.
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“He’s on it! Five have already been taken care of and the rest are on their way,” Trump wrote.
Albanese said Trump called him for “a very positive conversation” on the issue. The Prime Minister said he explained “the action we had taken over the previous 48 hours” to support women.
