FIFA, the International Federation of Association Football, has recently announced its approval to form a women’s football team consisting of Afghan refugees.
In a statement, FIFA said that the FIFA Council has approved an action strategy for Afghan women’s football, which includes the establishment of the Afghan Women’s Refugee Team (AWRT).
The statement noted that FIFA is tasked with organizing and facilitating the formation of this team, and that the team should begin its activities as soon as possible.
The statement quoted FIFA President Gianni Infantino as saying that the FIFA Council is committed to giving every girl around the world the opportunity to play football.
He described the move as “historic.”
This comes after the members of the Afghan national women’s football team fled the country following the return of the current regime to power, and are now living in countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom, Albania, Portugal, and the United States.
Previously, human rights organizations had called on FIFA to facilitate the return of the Afghan women’s football team to international competition.
In its recent meeting, the FIFA Council also decided that the FIFA Women’s World Cup will expand to 48 teams starting in 2031.
In this new format, teams will compete in twelve groups, and the number of matches will increase from 64 to 104. The tournament will also be extended by one week compared to previous editions.
FIFA stated that the goal of this change is to develop and expand women’s football globally.
The Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF), currently under the control of the interim government, has not yet commented on the matter.
