The Coalition of Sports and Rights has urged the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) to facilitate the return of the Afghan women’s football team to international competitions in order to stop the ongoing discrimination against its members who are in exile.
In a report, the coalition stated that the draw for the preliminary round of the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup will take place in two days, but the Afghan women’s national football team will be absent from this draw.
The report noted that these competitions are a pathway to qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
It further mentioned that this is the second consecutive World Cup qualifying cycle since 2021 from which the Afghan women’s team has been excluded.
It should be noted that according to FIFA’s current regulations, the Afghan women’s national football team must be approved by the Afghanistan Football Federation, which is under the control of the caretaker government, in order to participate in international competitions.
Since regaining power, the caretaker government has banned women’s sports and does not recognize women’s sports teams in the country.
The Afghan women’s national football team and its supporters have repeatedly asked FIFA over the past three years to recognize them and provide financial support for their participation in international competitions. However, in response to the Coalition of Sports and Rights’ letter, FIFA stated that it has developed programs to support Afghan female footballers both inside and outside the country but did not clarify whether it recognizes the Afghan women’s national football team or not.
According to Andrea Florence, Executive Director of the Coalition of Sports and Rights, “The ability of Afghan female footballers to play at an international level entirely depends on FIFA’s intervention. FIFA’s response to our report outlined their strategy for supporting women in Afghanistan. It is encouraging to hear that FIFA is working to create playing opportunities for these players, but we still hope they decide to recognize the team and provide them with financial support, just like other member associations.”
Additionally, Farishta Abbasi, Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch, stated: “For these athletes, football is not just a passion; it is a fundamental act of resistance against the Taliban—a gesture of solidarity with their sisters who still live in Afghanistan. FIFA’s recognition and support for this team would send a powerful message that the rights of Afghan women cannot be erased.”
Meanwhile, members of the Afghan women’s national football team left the country after the current government’s takeover and are now living in various countries around the world, including Australia, Portugal, Albania, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
