<\/p>\nListen to this article<\/span>\u00a0|\u00a0<\/span>5 mins<\/span><\/p>\n<\/button>info<\/title><path class=\"icon-main-color\" d=\"M12 0a12 12 0 1 0 0 24 12 12 0 0 0 0-24Zm-.226 3.225a2.039 2.039 0 0 1 2.155 1.924v.193a1.998 1.998 0 0 1-2.155 2.149 2.029 2.029 0 0 1-2.146-2.15 2.039 2.039 0 0 1 1.955-2.122h.193l-.002.006Zm3.227 15.525a.75.75 0 0 1-.752.75H9.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.75h.748V12h-.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.751h3a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.752v6.75h.75a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.749L15 18.75Z\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>\n<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p>Concerns and uncertainty have grown over the return home of the Iranian women\u2019s football team from Australia during the Israeli-United States war and alleged threats to their safety.<\/p>\n<p>Iran were knocked out of the AFC Women\u2019s Asian Cup 2026 on Sunday when they lost their last group game against the Philippines in Gold Coast, Australia.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 3 items<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>However, it\u2019s not the team\u2019s on-field performance but their journey home that has caused a stir as the global footballers union and rights activists are urging the Australian government and tournament organisers to extend the players\u2019 stay in the host nation.<\/p>\n<p>FIFPRO, which represents professional footballers globally, said on Monday that there were serious concerns for the welfare of the Iranians as they prepared to return home after being labelled \u201cwartime traitors\u201d for refusing to sing their national anthem before an Asian Cup match.<\/p>\n<p>Beau Busch, FIFPRO\u2019s president for Asia and Oceania, said the union had been unable to contact the players to discuss whether they would like to seek asylum in Australia.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe reality at the moment is that we\u2019re unable to get in touch with the players. That\u2019s incredibly concerning. That\u2019s not a new thing. That\u2019s really been since the repression really dialled up in February, January,\u201d Busch told reporters in Australia.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo we\u2019re really concerned about the players, but our responsibility right now is to do everything within our power to try and make sure that they\u2019re safe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Busch said the organisation was working with FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Australian government to ensure that \u201cevery bit of pressure is applied\u201d to protect the players and give them \u201cagency around what happens next\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a really challenging situation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere may be players that want to return. There may be some players within the group that would like to seek asylum and would like to stay in Australia for longer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>More than 66,000 people have also signed a petition calling on the Australian government to ensure the players, who are still in Queensland, do not leave \u201cwhile credible fears for their safety remain\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Australia\u2019s Ministry of Home Affairs told Al Jazeera it would not comment on \u201cthe team\u2019s travel plans\u201d while the AFC did not respond to Al Jazeera\u2019s request for comment.<\/p>\n<p>Images from outside the team hotel in Gold Coast showed the presence of Queensland Police Service vehicles as well as hotel security cordoning off a portion of the hotel\u2019s entrance.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4381700\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4381700\" style=\"width:770px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-arc-image-770 wp-image-4381700\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AFP__20260309__A2GF76B__v1__MidRes__AustraliaIranUsIsraelWarFbl-1773062352.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C514&quality=80\" alt=\"A hotel security member stands beside a police van at the entrance to the Royal Pines Resort, where members of the Iranian women\u0092s football team are staying, on the Gold Coast on March 9, 2026. Australia must protect the visiting Iranian women's football team, the son of the nation's late shah urged March 9, warning their refusal to sing the national anthem before a match could have "dire consequences". (Photo by Patrick HAMILTON \/ AFP)\" fetchpriority=\"low\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4381700\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A member of hotel security stands beside a police van at the entrance to the Royal Pines Resort, where members of the Iranian women\u2019s football team are staying [Patrick Hamilton\/AFP]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"players-eager-to-come-back-to-iran\">Players \u2018eager to come back\u2019 to Iran<\/h2>\n<p>While the players have not publicly aired any concerns for their own safety, they have spoken about the difficulty of playing in a tournament thousands of kilometres away from home while being \u201cfully disconnected\u201d from their families during the US-Israeli attacks.<\/p>\n<p>Their head coach, Marziyeh Jafari, has been quoted as saying by Australian media that the players want to return to Iran \u201cas soon as we can\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI want to be with my country and home. \u2026 We are eager to come back,\u201d the Australian Associated Press quoted Jafari as saying in a postmatch news conference.<\/p>\n<p>Human rights activists and members of Australia\u2019s Iranian community voiced fears over the team\u2019s wellbeing after the players saluted and sang the national anthem before their second and third games in the Asia Cup.<\/p>\n<p>It was in contrast to their decision to remain silent as the anthem played before their first game and prompted FIFPRO to urge AFC and FIFA to protect the Iranian team after they were labelled \u201cwartime traitors\u201d by an Iranian state television presenter.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4368165\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4368165\" style=\"width:770px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-arc-image-770 wp-image-4368165\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AFP__20260302__99JK9ED__v1__MidRes__FblAfcWomenIrnKor-1772717719.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C514&quality=80\" alt=\"Team Iran listen national anthems before the AFC Women\u0092s Asian Cup Australia 2026 football match between South Korea and Iran in Gold Coast on March 2, 2026. (Photo by Izhar Khan \/ AFP) \/ -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE --\" fetchpriority=\"low\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4368165\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Iran\u2019s players did not sing their national anthem before their first Asian Cup game [Izhar Khan\/AFP]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting presenter Mohammad Reza Shahbazi said in a video that the players showed a lack of patriotism and their actions amounted to the \u201cpinnacle of dishonour\u201d in footage that circulated widely on social media.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLet me just say one thing: Traitors during wartime must be dealt with more severely,\u201d Shahbazi said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnyone who takes a step against the country under war conditions must be dealt with more severely, like this matter of \u2060our women\u2019s football team not singing the national anthem. \u2026 These people must be dealt with more \u2060severely.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In response, FIFPRO released a strong and lengthy statement outlining its concerns.<\/p>\n<p>A video on social media showed dozens of protesters chanting, \u201cLet them go,\u201d and slowing down the team bus as it departed the stadium after Sunday\u2019s match. Protesters also chanted, \u201cSave our girls,\u201d as Australian police and security cleared the way for the team bus to leave the stadium.<\/p>\n<p>Iran\u2019s team has no further officially scheduled training or appearances in the tournament, which concludes with a final on March 21.<\/p>\n<p>The US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and sparking regionwide conflict as Tehran responded with missile and drone attacks on Israel and other countries in the Middle East where US forces operate.<\/p>\n<p>As a result of the war, 1,255 people have been killed in Iran, including 165 girls whose elementary school was targeted in the first wave of attacks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Listen to this article\u00a0|\u00a05 mins info Concerns and uncertainty have grown over the return home of the Iranian women\u2019s football team from Australia during the Israeli-United States war and alleged threats to their safety. Iran were knocked out of the AFC Women\u2019s Asian Cup 2026 on Sunday when they lost their last group game against […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14445,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14444","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asia-pacific"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14444","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14444"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14444\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14445"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14444"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14444"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14444"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}