Iran’s national soccer team has returned to the war-torn country after several players sought asylum in Australia.
Published March 20, 2026
Iranian authorities on Thursday gave a hero’s welcome to the women’s national soccer team upon their return from Australia. In Australia, some people had applied for asylum but withdrew their claims amid accusations that Iran was putting pressure on their families.
Six players and one behind-the-scenes staff who traveled to Australia for the Women’s Asian Cup applied for asylum earlier this month after not singing the national anthem before the first match, which drew criticism from Iranian hardliners.
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Five of them later changed their minds and returned home with the rest of the team, including captain Zahra Gambari, but their fate sparked international concern amid the US and Israel’s war against Iran.
Activists have accused Iranian authorities of putting pressure on the women’s families, including summoning their parents for questioning, while Tehran claims Australia has tried to force the players to seek asylum.
Thousands of people, many holding Iranian flags, gathered for a welcoming ceremony in central Tehran’s Valiasl Square on Thursday night, state television footage showed, but other pro-government rallies have also been held there in recent weeks.
A giant sign in the square bore the slogan “My choice. My homeland” and depicted players wearing national team uniforms and compulsory hijabs saluting the Iranian flag.
“What is certain is that the players are loyal to their country, their flag, their leaders and the revolution,” Mehdi Taj, president of the Iranian Football Federation, said on stage with his team members in tow.
Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani, one of the most high-profile women in Iranian politics, told the team members: “All Iranians have been waiting for you. Welcome to Iran.”
“They’re threatening my family.”
As onlookers cheered on the players, giant AI-generated images of women were projected on the screen, with the Iranian flag in the background, pledging allegiance to the Iranian flag.
Two team members remain in Australia, but the rest of the team, including the other five women who originally applied for asylum, arrived in Iran on Wednesday after a long journey home via Malaysia, Oman and Turkiye.
Activists accused Iranian authorities of pressuring the five women to change their minds by applying pressure on the families at home through intelligence agents.
“The Iranian regime started threatening their families, effectively taking them hostage. Therefore, they were forced to revoke their asylum and return to Iran,” Shiva Amini, a former Iranian national soccer player who now lives in exile and campaigns for women’s rights, wrote on social media.
But Farideh Shojaei, an Iranian soccer official who visited Australia, said the players were provided with “a house, a car, money, the promise of a contract with a professional club and humanitarian visas”.
“Fortunately, the members of our team value our national identity above all else and declined these offers,” she told Iranian media.
Before the opening game, the Iranian team was silent when the national anthem was played, but the national anthem was sung during subsequent games. An Iranian state television host branded the players “wartime traitors.”
The highlight of the welcome ceremony in Tehran was the singing of the Islamic Republic’s national anthem, with the participation of athletes and officials.
