FIFA To Hold Historic Women’s Soccer Tournament Featuring Afghan Refugee Team
When a team of Afghan refugees takes the field in Dubai later this month under FIFA’s banner, it will mark far more than the start of a round-robin soccer tournament.
For the first time since 2018, the Afghan women will play in an internationally recognized competition — not as representatives of their nation’s federation, but as exiles whose very existence as athletes defies their country’s regime.
The four-team tournament — dubbed the “FIFA Unites: Women’s Series” — will be held from Oct. 23-29 and features the United Arab Emirates, Chad, Libya and the refugee-led Afghan squad. While the event may appear modest with no major title on the line, the implications will be anything but.
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For the Afghan women who fled their country following the Taliban’s 2021 takeover, playing in Dubai will be deeply symbolic. After years of obscurity, threats and displacement, they will step into the international spotlight wearing a jersey FIFA plans to recognize as representing Afghanistan.
The team is largely made up of women who now live and play in Australia, many part of the Melbourne Victory FC Afghan Women’s Team, formed while in exile. Their story of escape, facilitated in part by the Australian government, has already become a powerful narrative of resistance. Now, that narrative has an international sporting platform.
The Taliban — a militant movement with an ideology comprising elements of Islamic fundamentalism — first emerged in the mid-1990s and were toppled after 9/11 following the U.S. invasion. The United States pulled out of Afghanistan in 2021, pavng the way for the Taliban’s return to power.
While the women’s team will be acknowledged as a national representative in this context, the Afghanistan Football Federation (which remains aligned with the Taliban-controlled government) continues to operate with FIFA’s official backing. According to FIFA statutes, political interference in national federations can result in sanctions. Yet, despite the de facto dissolution of Afghanistan’s women’s national team by the Taliban, the AFF has faced no formal censure.
This contradiction highlights a growing tension in FIFA’s governance: The gap between stated ideals and institutional inaction.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino called access to soccer for women “a priority” and a “key element in shaping the future of our sport.” Hosting a talent identification camp in England and facilitating international competition for displaced Afghan players certainly supports that rhetoric. Yet, symbolic inclusion does not necessarily equate to structural change.
“We are aware of the potential the game has both on and off the pitch,” Infantino added. “These friendly matches represent more than just a competition; they are a symbol of hope and progress for women all over the world. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who are contributing to this event, including the United Arab Emirates Football Association for hosting a historic event that puts the players in the international spotlight.”
By giving the refugee team made up of Muslim women more visibility, FIFA offers them legitimacy — and perhaps hopes to pressure the AFF indirectly. But without consequences for federations that violate basic human rights, the sport’s governing body risks using inclusion as a public relations tool, rather than as a lever for accountability.
The rest of the tournament lineup reveals a different kind of complexity. The UAE, ranked No. 117th in the world, will host the games, coached by Vera Pauw. Libya and Chad, meanwhile, are not even ranked by FIFA due to inactivity. For both countries, the tournament will serve as a return to the global game and an opportunity for exposure and evaluation that could spur renewed investment in women’s soccer at home.
The disparity in resources, infrastructure and political stability among the teams raises questions about competitive balance — and whether the tournament functions more as a developmental showcase or a symbolic gathering.
There is no question that giving the Afghan refugee team a platform is a significant gesture. It acknowledges their right to play, and by extension, their right to exist — something the Taliban has worked hard to deny.
For the players, the long-term question remains: What comes next? Only time will tell.
Clemente Lisi is the executive editor of Religion Unplugged.