After years of fleeing, fighting, advocating and training, Afghanistan’s women have won the right to compete as their country’s official national football team.
An unprecedented decision by FIFA’s Council in Toronto allows the current squad to seek qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics and future World Cups and Asian Cups. The move comes despite the Taliban-run Afghan football association having refused to sanction a national women’s team.
“It’s something really huge for us, to show the world that Afghan women and girls are capable of doing amazing things,” national team goalkeeper Elaha Safdari told DW. “It’s a hard slap to the face of the Taliban and those people who were against us. We are just showing that we are capable of doing amazing things through sports. And of course, we are still raising our voice for all the voiceless who are back home.”
Many players come from the Afghanistan Women’s United squad that took part in a small tournament, the FIFA Unites Women’s Series, in Morocco in 2025. Those players, mostly refugees now living in Australia and Europe, have faced logistical and political hurdles and will likely make up much of the new national side.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino described the Council amendment as “momentous,” saying it lets FIFA “approve the registration of a national or representative team under exceptional circumstances where a Member Association is unable to do so.” He called it “a powerful and unprecedented step in world sport,” and said FIFA was protecting the right of every girl and woman to play and represent who they are. Infantino cited FIFA’s 2025 “Strategy for Action for Afghan Women’s Football” as a key driver of the change.
Andrea Florence, executive director of the Sport and Rights Alliance, said the precedent shows governing bodies can adapt rules to protect human rights when extraordinary circumstances demand it. The decision could open the door for other national teams — often women’s teams — blocked by their federations from competing.
Former Afghanistan captain Khalida Popal, now a prominent advocate, sat beside Infantino when the announcement was made; the current squad watched online. “This is our moment, this is our time and football is our voice and our platform,” she said.
For Safdari and teammates, the recognition is a chance to build on the momentum and team spirit they forged in Morocco, where they were not recognized as a full national team. “Our situation is quite different from other teams but I feel like that’s a big strength for us,” Safdari said. “We’ve been training hard, we’ve been aiming for this, and it’s a new hope for us. It shows our resilience and it just shows that if we work hard, we can definitely achieve [our goals].”
The players acknowledge the struggle is far from over while the Taliban remain in power and repression of women continues in Afghanistan. Still, the team now has a rare international platform to amplify the plight and pride of Afghan women. Safdari said her parents back home were proud, and the squad has seen widespread support on social media.
FIFA will fund and support the team during international breaks. The squad is due to gather in New Zealand for matches and an eight-day training camp, including a game against the Cook Islands, as they prepare for Olympic qualifiers likely to begin later this year, followed by World Cup and Asian Cup qualifying campaigns.
With many players scattered across countries and having scarcely trained together, there is significant work ahead. But for athletes who rebuilt lives abroad while fighting for their right to play, the challenge is familiar.
Edited by: Janek Speight