In this photo supplied by Australia's Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke's office, the Minister Tony Burke, center, poses in an undisclosed location with five Iranian soccer players who were granted asylum in Australia on March 10, 2026. (Australia Ministry of Home Affairs via AP)

‘Safe haven’: Iranian soccer players who sought asylum in Australia thank supporters

Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh, the only two members of the team who ultimately remained behind, say they hope to continue their sporting careers in new home

by · The Times of Israel

Iranian women’s soccer players Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh thanked the Australian government on Friday for offering a “safe haven” and said they wished to resume their sporting careers after rebuilding their lives.

In their first public comments since being granted humanitarian visas, the players said in a statement that “the compassion and support shown to us during this challenging time has provided us with hope for a future where we can live and compete in safety.”

“We wish to express our deepest gratitude to the Australian government, and particularly Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, for granting us humanitarian protection and a safe haven in this beautiful country,” they said.

Concerns over the Iranian players’ safety surfaced after several players did not sing the national anthem at an Asian Cup match, with Iranian state TV labeling them “wartime traitors.”

Australia initially granted humanitarian visas to six players and one support staff member from the Iranian squad after their Asian Cup campaign in Australia began just as the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran.

Five of the group subsequently changed their minds and decided to return home, leaving only Pasandideh and Ramezanisadeh in Australia.

An undated photo released on March 11, 2026 shows members of the Iranian women’s football team who claimed asylum in Australia; player Mohaddeseh Zolfi (L) and support member Zahra Soltan Meshkeh Kar (3rd L), posing with their five other teammates who had earlier claimed asylum Fatemeh Pasandideh (2nd L), Atefeh Ramezanizadeh (4th L), Mona Hamoudi (C), Zahra Ghanbari (4th R), and Zahra Sarbali (R), along with two other local officials (2nd and 3rd R) in Sydney. (Handout /Australian Department of Home Affairs / AFP)

The duo began training with the A-League Women’s team Brisbane Roar last month.

“We are overwhelmed by the warmth and generosity of the Iranian diaspora community in Australia. Your support has made us feel welcome and less alone as we navigate this transition,” they said.

“At this stage, our primary focus is on our safety, our health and beginning the process of rebuilding our lives,” they said.

“We are elite athletes, and it remains our dream to continue our sporting careers here in Australia. However, we are not yet ready to speak publicly about our experiences.”

A week after seeking asylum, the pair were pictured smiling and training with Australian club Brisbane Roar. They have not been seen since and are being housed at an undisclosed location.

The plight of the rest of the team remains unclear after their return to Iran.

Members of Iran’s women’s soccer team arrive at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport after taking part in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026 tournament in Australia, in Sepang, Malaysia, on March 11, 2026. (Mohd Rasfan / AFP)

AFP reporters saw them cross into their homeland from Turkey on a bus wearing the national team tracksuits and with their hair covered.

Soon after, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on X that the players and their support team were “children of the homeland and the people of Iran embrace them.”

By returning, they had “disappointed the enemies [of Iran] and did not surrender to deception and intimidation by anti-Iran elements,” he added.