TA: FIFA approved the establishment of the Afghan Women s Football Refugee Team, which can participate in events regulated by FIFA

May 10th TheAthletic reported that FIFA has approved the establishment of the Afghan women's refugee football team, which will be allowed to participate in events regulated by FIFA. The move means that Afghan women's football players who are in exile and have obtained refugee status will form an officially recognized team. FIFA said refugee teams will first enter a one-year pilot phase, which will help assess their long-term viability and may set a precedent for players of other nationalities to obtain similar identities. The establishment of the team must be approved by the FIFA Council first, and after approval, you can participate in friendly matches and official matches recognized by FIFA. FIFA stressed that it will provide a competition environment that prioritizes the safety and well-being of players. FIFA President Infantino said this is a milestone: "FIFA is committed to giving every girl the opportunity to play football."

According to FIFA regulations, teams must be recognized by the Football Association of their own, but the Afghan Football Association controlled by the Taliban does not recognize its women's football team, and the country has completely banned women from participating in sports.

The Afghan Women's Football Team has not participated in official competitions since 2018 and has now disappeared from the world rankings of FIFA's 196 women's football national teams. This directly led to his absence from the 2026 Women's Asian Cup qualifiers draw, which is the qualifier for the Brazil Women's World Cup the following year. The move prompted players and relevant people to call on FIFA to recognize the team and allow them to participate in the competition on behalf of the motherland.

TheAthletic interviewed several exiled Afghan female football players who talked about their own experiences and expectations of regaining their official recognition from FIFA. After the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, women's rights in Afghanistan were suppressed, basic freedoms were restricted, and girls' education was banned. The United Nations pointed out that such treatment may constitute gender isolation.

With the assistance of the International Federation of Professional Football Players, more than 75 relevant personnel from the Afghan women's national football team, including players, officials and their families, fled to Australia, and some others traveled to European countries such as the United Kingdom. FIFA revealed that in October 2021, a total of about 160 people were assisted in evacuation of Afghanistan, of which 70% were women and children, including female football players.