GOLD COAST (Aus), Mar 12: In a story that’s equal parts heartbreak and hope, two more members of Iran’s women’s football team have been granted asylum in Australia, just before their teammates boarded a flight back to a homeland torn by war. Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke broke the news Wednesday, bringing the total to seven women who’ve chosen safety Down Under.
The latest pair—one player and one staffer—made their move right before the group was whisked to Sydney airport late Tuesday. Protests erupted outside their hotel and the gates, with Iranian Aussies pleading with the women not to go, fearing what awaited in bomb-ravaged Iran. The flight finally took off, but not without raw emotion.
The team had rolled into Australia last month for the Women’s Asian Cup, full of promise. Then Iran’s war erupted on February 28, knocking them out of the tournament and thrusting them into a nightmare: head home to bombardment or stay? Australia bent over backward to help.
As the women cleared border security, officials pulled them aside one by one—no minders, just interpreters and a real choice. “Australia made the offer because we are so impressed by these women as individuals,” Burke told reporters in Canberra. “The choice that Australia gave… is a choice that every individual should be entitled to.”
Some called family back home mid-chat, weighing the pull of loved ones against the terror. In the end, seven got temporary humanitarian visas paving the way to permanent residency. (A few were skipped due to ties with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.)
Their silence at the first match—no anthem sung—roared around the world, sparking massive support. They saluted it later, but stayed mum on politics. “When those players were silent… that silence was heard as a roar,” Burke said. “We responded by saying, in Australia you can be safe.”
The delegation (about 26 players plus staff) became local heroes—Brisbane’s top club even invited stragglers to train. Protests peaked with footage of a woman seemingly tugged to the bus; Burke left that to police, stressing Australia’s not about forcing hands.
Globally, it blew up—US President Trump blasted Australia at first, then praised PM Anthony Albanese after a call. Iran fumed, calling it “direct political interference” and threatening 2026 World Cup drama.
Burke stood firm: “Australia’s objective here was not to force people… We are not that sort of a nation.” A poignant reminder that sometimes, the pitch is where the real fights for freedom begin.
