Afghan women’s refugee team cleared to compete in FIFA competitions

The Afghanistan women’s refugee football team, known as Afghan Women United, has been granted eligibility to compete in official international competitions following a landmark decision by FIFA.

The decision, announced Wednesday, opens the door to future participation in events such as qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

The decision was approved by the FIFA Council at a meeting in Vancouver, Canada, where members voted to amend regulations allowing recognition of refugee-based representative teams under exceptional circumstances.

The move comes nearly five years after the players fled Afghanistan following the Islamic Emirate’s return to power in 2021 and the subsequent ban on women’s sport.

Under the new ruling, Afghan Women United will be formally recognised by FIFA as Afghanistan’s women’s representative team and may now participate in international tournaments in coordination with FIFA and relevant confederations.

While the team will not be able to enter qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, officials confirmed they could be eligible for the Olympic qualification cycle leading to the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino described the decision as part of a broader effort to ensure players are not excluded due to circumstances beyond their control.

“We are proud of the journey initiated by Afghan Women United,” he said, adding that the initiative could serve as a model for other cases where national teams are unable to participate.

The breakthrough follows years of campaigning by players, former captain and activist Khalida Popal, and human rights organisations. Popal said the decision marked a turning point after years of uncertainty for Afghan women footballers.

“For five years we were told the Afghanistan women’s national team could never compete again,” she said. “This decision changes that future not only for us, but for others who should never have to face the same exclusion.”

More than 80 Afghan women players are currently based across Australia, Europe and the United States. The squad has held recent training camps in England and Australia and is coached by Pauline Hamill.

The team is expected to play friendly matches during the upcoming international window in June, with opponents yet to be confirmed.