KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The FIFA Council has approved the formation of a refugee football team for women from Afghanistan, a significant step for exiled players after the Taliban’s return to power.
In a statement on Friday, the council said it had endorsed an “action strategy” for Afghanistan women’s football. The plan includes forming the Afghanistan Women’s Refugee Team (AWRT) and gives the FIFA administration a mandate to organize and support the team’s development as soon as possible.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino described the move as a “landmark initiative,” emphasizing the organization’s commitment to giving every girl the opportunity to play football.
Since 2018, Afghanistan’s women’s team has not played any official matches. Following the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, women’s sports in the country were effectively shut down. The Taliban-led Afghanistan Football Federation has refused to recognize the national women’s team and has banned all women’s sports.
FIFA regulations require teams to be recognized by their national federation to compete in official tournaments. As that is currently impossible under Taliban rule, FIFA is working on an alternative path.
In a social media post, FIFA President confirmed that FIFA is engaged in ongoing diplomatic discussions with Afghanistan. In the interim, the new refugee team will have the opportunity to train and participate in friendly matches under FIFA’s framework.
“Our message remains clear: football is for everyone,” he said.
Many members of Afghanistan’s women’s team fled the country after 2021. Most are now residing in countries such as Australia, the UK, and the United States, where they continue to train but lack FIFA recognition and access to competitions.
Their situation has drawn international attention. Lawmakers from the US, UK, Australia, Portugal, and Italy — along with Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai — have all urged FIFA to support and reintegrate the team.
In the same session on Friday, the FIFA Council also approved an expansion of the Women’s World Cup. Starting in 2031, the tournament will feature 48 teams instead of 32. The new format will include 12 groups and increase the number of matches from 64 to 104. The tournament will also last a week longer than in previous editions.
FIFA says the expansion is aimed at growing the women’s game globally.
