Two Iranian Soccer Players Who Sought Asylum Now Training With Brisbane Roar FC
Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh — the only two Iranian players still in Australia after a dramatic asylum saga — have begun training with an Australian A-League women's team.
Two members of Iran's women's national soccer team who chose to remain in Australia after the team's anthem protest are now training with a professional club.
A-League women's team Brisbane Roar FC confirmed on Tuesday that Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh have joined the squad.
"Today, Brisbane Roar officially welcomed both Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh to the club’s training facilities to take part in training with our A-League Women squad and remain committed to providing a supportive environment for them whilst they navigate the next stages," the club said in a social media statement.
The club had previously expressed interest in helping the Iranian players after their story made international headlines.
"We’d be honoured to open our doors and offer you a place to train, play, and belong and will begin to explore how to make this happen," Brisbane Roar posted on social media on March 10. "No politics. No conditions. Just football, community, and a warm welcome. Queensland is your home now."
Iranian Women's Soccer Players Sought Asylum In Australia
The two women were among seven members of Iran's delegation who originally sought asylum in Australia after refusing to sing the national anthem before their opening match at the Asian Cup earlier this month. The protest was widely interpreted as a gesture of defiance against the oppressive Iranian regime.
Australia granted humanitarian visas to the group amid concerns the players could face punishment upon returning home. But the situation quickly became complicated.
Members of Iran's women's football team talk as they arrive at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport after taking part in the AFC Women's Asian Cup Australia 2026 tournament.
(Photo by Mohd RASFAN / AFP via Getty Images)
One player reversed her decision shortly after accepting asylum and revealed the location of her teammates' safehouse to the Iranian embassy. Three more players later chose to leave Australia and rejoin the team, followed by captain Zahra Ghanbari withdrawing her asylum request as well.
Those reversals left Pasandideh and Ramezanisadeh as the only two members of the original group still in Australia.
Learn More About The Ultimate College Hoops Experience
Shiva Amini, a former Iranian soccer player, said in a post on X that "the Iranian Football Federation, working with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard IRGC, has placed intense and systematic pressure on the players’ families in Iran" in order to force the women to return.
"They have even targeted the family of Zahra Ghanbari," Amini wrote. "Despite the fact that she has just lost her father, authorities are putting pressure on her mother. This shows the level of cruelty and desperation they are willing to use to force these athletes to comply."
For now, Pasandideh and Ramezanisadeh appear to be focusing on football as they begin the next chapter of their careers in Australia.
Pasandideh shared a brief message on social media this week alongside a photo from Brisbane: "Everything will be fine."
(Instagram: @fatemehpasandideh10)
We sure hope that's true — for the two women in Australia, the ones who returned home to Iran, and their families who are at the mercy of a cruel regime.