Latest news with #AfghanistanWomen
Washington Post
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
FIFA pledges to help create Afghan refugee team in women's soccer for friendly games
ZURICH — FIFA has pledged to help create an Afghanistan refugee team in women's soccer that can play friendly games outside of competitions during a sports ban by the Taliban on women in the country. The move on Friday does not yet meet exiled players' wish to be a recognized Afghanistan women's national team playing qualifying games for the Women's World Cup and Asian championships.
Reuters
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
FIFA OKs creation of Afghanistan women's refugee team
May 9 - FIFA has approved the creation of an Afghanistan women's refugee team that will compete in matches overseen by the world governing body. According to FIFA, the team -- composed of female players of Afghan nationality who obtained refugee status abroad -- would first operate under a one-year pilot phase, which will help the organization determine the long-term viability of the program. The FIFA Council must approve the team's establishment. Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, called the approval a "landmark" moment, adding that "FIFA is committed to giving every girl the possibility to play football." FIFA regulations require teams to receive recognition by a national federation in order to compete. The Afghan Football Federation, however, has not acknowledged its women's teams, in fact banning all women's sports across the country. Afghanistan has not had a women's side compete in an official match since 2018. --Field Level Media
New York Times
09-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
FIFA sanction creation of Afghanistan women's refugee team
FIFA has sanctioned the establishment of an Afghanistan women's refugee team which will be able to participate in matches overseen by world football's governing body. Such a move would see the creation of an officially-recognised team of evacuated female players of Afghan nationality who obtained refugee-status abroad. Advertisement FIFA says the refugee team would be initially on a one-year pilot phase, which it adds will help evaluation over its long-term viability and which could create the possibility other nationalities attaining similar status. The establishment of a team must first be approved by the FIFA Council, which would allow them to participate in both recognised friendly matches and tournaments overseen by FIFA, which says it will provide an environment which would prioritise player safety and well-being. It has been hailed as a 'landmark' moment by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who said: 'FIFA is committed to giving every girl the possibility to play football.' The regulations of FIFA require recognition by a national federation for teams to compete, but the Taliban-controlled Afghan Football Federation (AFF) does not acknowledge its women's teams with all women's sports banned across the nation. Afghanistan's women's side have not played an official match since 2018 and no longer features in FIFA's 196-team women's world rankings. Most recently, that has meant Afghanistan were from this year's 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers draw, which feeds into the qualification process for the Women's World Cup in Brazil the following year. That led to players and others making fresh calls for FIFA to recognise the team and allow them to represent their homeland. The Athletic spoke to several of the displaced Afghan women's players, who spoke of their experiences and hopes of regaining official recognition by FIFA. In August 2021, the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan led to the repression of women's rights in the country, restricting basic freedoms and banning teenage girls from education. The United Nations said such treatment could amount to 'gender apartheid'. More than 75 people associated with the nation's women's senior football team — including players, officials and their families — escaped to Australia, assisted by FIFPro, football's global players' union. Others fled to countries in Europe, including the United Kingdom. FIFA says it supported the evacuation of around 160 people in total from Afghanistan in October 2021, around 70 per cent of whom were women and children, including female players. (WILLIAM WEST/AFP via Getty Images)
