Australia grants asylum to 5 Iranian women footballers after anthem controversy

Five players from a visiting Iranian women’s football team have taken asylum in Australia amid fears they could face persecution back home for not singing their national anthem before a match, according to Australian officials. The Iranian players’ silence during the anthem ahead of an Asian Cup tournament match in Australia was widely seen as an act of defiance against the Islamic Republic. Five players escaped the team’s hotel on Australia’s Gold Coast overnight, holing up in a “safe location” while lodging their asylum claims, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said on March 10, 2026.