At the 2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Asian Cup held in Australia, several players on Iran's women's national soccer team refused to sing the national anthem and applied for asylum at great personal risk, drawing global attention. With reports that the Iranian regime demands large amounts of collateral or mortgages on dwellings from athletes traveling abroad, concerns are growing that the families of players who choose asylum could face reprisals or financial penalties. Under this pressure, one of the players who had applied for asylum ultimately reversed the decision and chose to return to Iran.
◇The beginning of resistance fired by silence
On the 2nd local time, at a stadium on Australia's Gold Coast before Iran's women's national soccer team match, Iran's national anthem blared, but not one of the 11 starters sang along. At the time, Iran was in the midst of its worst political upheaval, with months of anti-government protests and the deaths of key regime figures in U.S. and Israeli airstrikes.
According to the New York Times (NYT), before the match the players discussed a protest against the Iranian regime and decided to refuse to sing the anthem. That brief silence quickly turned into a storm. Iranian state television condemned them as "wartime traitors," and officials traveling with the squad banned the players from leaving the hotel, placing them under de facto house arrest.
◇A 2 a.m. rescue operation and "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!"
When the tournament ended with a loss to the Philippines on the 8th, the Iranian players faced an imminent return to a homeland where persecution awaited. But on the night before departure, the situation changed dramatically. Five players, including captain Zahra Ghanbari, escaped through the hotel parking lot, evading surveillance by Iranian security agents.
Their fate escalated into an international diplomatic issue. U.S. President Donald Trump called the Australian prime minister at 2 a.m. to request humanitarian assistance, and the Australian government immediately issued them visas. Later, one additional player and one staff member applied for asylum. Standing before Australian officials, the Iranian players cast off their hijabs and, shouting Australia's cheer "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi, Oi, Oi!," expressed their joy, the NYT reported.
◇"If you come back, they will kill you"… the heavy price of asylum
But the price of freedom was brutal. The Iranian regime is known to demand large amounts of collateral or mortgages on dwellings when athletes travel abroad. The moment players choose asylum, their families left in Iran can be saddled with massive debts or targeted for regime reprisals. In fact, one player who had decided to seek asylum ultimately set out to return via the Iranian Embassy, unable to overcome concern for family.
The tragedy did not end there. On the 11th, Australia's public broadcaster ABC reported a desperate voice message that the player's mother sent to the Iranian Australian community. In the message, the mother told her daughter, "Do not return to Iran. They will kill you." According to ABC, community members who heard the mother's message desperately tried to get it to the player as she passed through the airport.
CNN in the United States reported, "The players not only risk being arrested during their escape but also the possibility of leaving their hometowns and families forever," adding, "Even so, the Iranian players' decisions to seek asylum are driven by a complex mix of political pressure, forced regime propaganda, and threats targeting their families."