Fifth asylum-seeking women's soccer player decides to return to Iran

Field Level Media
16 Mar 2026, 23:55 GMT+10

(Photo credit: Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

A fifth member of the Iranian women's national soccer team who originally decided to remain in Australia on a refugee visa had a chance of heart and decided to return home Sunday evening, the Australian government announced.

The team arrived in Melbourne to compete in the 2026 Asian Women's Cup shortly before the United States and Israel began a series of airstrikes on Iranian hubs on Feb. 28. The team went winless in group-stage play, competing in its last match on March 8.

The majority of the team was relocated to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and remains there as the players and staff members attempt to find a way back to their war-torn country. But six Iranian players and one staff member stayed behind in Australia, accepting asylum from the country.

Of those seven, only two players now remain in Australia after the latest departure.

'We've been working very, very closely with them, but obviously this is a very complex situation,' Matt Thistlethwaite, an assistant immigration minister for Australia, told Sky News. 'These are deeply personal decisions, and the government respects the decisions of those that have chosen to return. And we continue to offer support to the two that are remaining.

'They're being given all the support of the Australian government and indeed the diaspora community to remain here and settle in Australia.'

--Field Level Media

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