Iran’s women’s football team sang their national anthem ahead of their final Women’s Asian Cup match against the Philippines on Sunday, days after their earlier silence had sparked controversy and drew accusations of disloyalty from state media in Tehran.
Ahead of last weekend's opening match against South Korea, the Iranian players refused to sing their national anthem, a decision that quickly drew international attention. A commentator on Iran’s state broadcaster described the act as the “pinnacle of dishonour”, branding the team “wartime traitors”.
Under an intense spotlight, the squad sang and saluted the anthem before Sunday’s game at Gold Coast Stadium in Queensland. Their tournament, however, ended shortly afterwards with a 2-0 loss to the Philippines, confirming Iran's elimination.
Head coach Marziyeh Jafari said after the match that the players were eager to return home following a turbulent week.
“We are very impatiently waiting to return,” Jafari told reporters. “Personally, I would like to return to my country as soon as possible and be with my compatriots and family.”
Outside the stadium, the situation remained charged. Some spectators waved the pre-1979 Iranian flag and booed during the anthem, while others attempted to block the team bus from leaving the stadium. A small group chanted “Save our girls!” as security escorted the players away.
The team’s situation has drawn concern from human rights groups and political activists, who fear the players could face repercussions upon their return to Iran.
Reza Pahlavi, the US-based opposition figure and son of the Shah deposed during the 1979 revolution, urged Australian authorities to ensure the squad’s safety.
“The members of the Iranian Women’s National Football Team are under significant pressure and ongoing threat from the Islamic Republic,” he wrote on X. “As a result of their brave act of civil disobedience in refusing to sing the current regime’s national anthem, they face dire consequences should they return to Iran.”
The Iranian team's trip to Australia coincided with escalating tensions in the region following US and Israeli air strikes in the country that killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. On Monday, Iran confirmed Al Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Khamenei, will replace him.
A petition launched on Change.org calling on the Australian government to offer refuge to the team had gathered more than 51,000 signatures by Sunday evening. The petition urged Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke to prevent the team from leaving Australia “while credible fears for their safety remain”.
Burke declined to comment on the petition, while Foreign Minister Penny Wong said she did not want to speculate about the team’s situation.
“Obviously this is a regime that we know has brutally cracked down on its people,” Wong said in televised remarks.
Global players’ union FIFPRO has also called on football’s governing bodies, including Fifa and the Asian Football Confederation, to ensure the safety of Iran’s players following the backlash surrounding their earlier protest.
