Afghan Women’s Refugee Team’s Visa Denial Prompts FIFA To Relocate Tournament
FIFA has relocated a women’s international soccer tournament to Morocco after members of an Afghan refugee team were denied visas to enter the United Arab Emirates.
The competition — called “FIFA Unites: Women’s Series 2025” — had been originally scheduled to be played in Dubai with teams from Chad, Libya and the host nation UAE. FIFA confirmed this week that the tournament would instead be be played in Morocco, starting on Sunday, with a revised lineup that includes the Afghan refugee squad, Chad, Tunisia and Libya.
“This opportunity to play international football again represents a new beginning for me. A chance to rewrite my story, show my dedication, and proudly represent Afghanistan on the world stage,” said defender Kereshma Abasi. “It is not just about football; it is about inspiring others and proving that with hard work and resilience, anything is possible.”
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World soccer’s governing body did not originally provide a reason for the venue change, saying only that “unforeseen travel challenges” had led to the decision.
“The decision ensures all teams can compete in a safe, inclusive and competitive environment,” FIFA said in a statement when announcing Morocco as the new host nation.
But members of the team, 13 of which are based in Australia, said they had been unable to obtain visas to the UAE. Those visa denials prevented the team from traveling to Dubai, prompting FIFA to scramble in search of a new host.
The change marks yet another chapter in the difficult journey of Afghanistan’s women’s players, who have been scattered around the world since the Taliban regained power in 2021 and barred women from participating in all sports.
The Afghan women’s national team has not played an official match since 2018. The return to power of the Taliban shut down women’s sport entirely, leaving many players to flee abroad.
This current squad of refugee was rebuilt while the women were in exile, competing under FIFA’s umbrella and composed of 23 players living in Australia, the United Kingdom, Portugal and Italy. The group’s participation in the Women’s Series was meant to mark its first competitive matches since its formation.
“We held three ID camps, which gave us a really good chance to assess all of the players and put us in a strong position to announce the squad,” said the team’s head coach Pauline Hamill. “It’s such an exciting moment and one that I think that everyone who’s been involved in the program can be extremely proud of.”
The Afghan case remains a complicated one. While the Taliban-run Afghanistan Football Federation is officially recognized by FIFA, its suspension of women’s teams contradicts the organization’s equality statutes. However, FIFA has stopped short of sanctioning the federation, choosing instead to support refugee players through a separate initiative.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the initiative “underlines the power of our sport to bring hope, opportunity and unity. We are proud to play a leading role in the sporting world by providing these courageous women with the platform to compete internationally once again and to showcase their talent, resilience and passion.”
For those players, this coming week’s games, regardless of the outcome, underscores both their progress and the ongoing struggle for recognition. Despite the disruption, their presence in Morocco represents a continuation of their years-long struggle.
“FIFA will continue to stand by all Afghan women as these 23 players take this historic step,” Infantino added. “We will work tirelessly to ensure that every one of them receives the support they deserve to play the game they love.”
Clemente Lisi is executive editor at Religion Unplugged.