FIFA Recognises Afghan Women’s Refugee Team

Photo: © A. M. Bizouat / AFP

FIFA has allowed the Afghan women’s refugee team to participate in its international competitions.

According to a report by the Associated Press, the FIFA Council, during its meeting on Tuesday (28 April) in Vancouver, Canada, amended its regulations and recognised a team operating under the name “Afghan United Women”.

This decision comes around five years after players of the Afghanistan women’s national team were forced to leave the country following the Taliban’s return to power.

Although the deadline for participation in the qualification process for the 2027 Women’s World Cup has passed, “Afghan United Women” will be able to compete in the qualifiers for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Gianni Infantino, FIFA President, said in a statement that the decision was made to support “Afghan United Women” and similar teams so they can take the next steps in coordination with relevant confederations.

Khalida Popal, former captain of the Afghanistan women’s national team, said, “For five years, we were told that the Afghanistan women’s national team could never compete again because the men who took over our country would not allow it.”

She added that she is proud of FIFA’s decision and that it is the result of collective advocacy for the future of Afghan women.

It is worth noting that more than 80 Afghan women players are currently living in Australia, the United States and Europe. The “Afghan United Women” team, which trains under Pauline Hamill, is set to play two exhibition matches during the international window in June.

Nazia Ali, an Afghan player based in Australia, said that in recent years they have played under different names, but in their hearts they have always been the national team. She said that wearing the Afghanistan flag again in an official capacity is a feeling she cannot describe.

This comes as the Afghanistan women’s national team last played an official match in 2018, and following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, women’s sports in Afghanistan came to a halt. This FIFA decision shows that despite the exclusion of women from sports inside the country, the advocacy of Afghan women athletes in exile has opened a new path for their participation in international competitions.