FIFA has approved a landmark change to its eligibility rules that will now allow Afghanistan’s women footballers, living in exile for nearly five years, to officially represent their country as a recognized national team in international competitions.
The decision was confirmed on Tuesday at a FIFA Council meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia.
It marks a major shift in long-standing regulations that previously required national teams to be recognized only through their domestic football federations.
In Afghanistan’s case, the federation, operating under Taliban influence since 2021, has refused to support women’s football, leaving the players without official status.
Under the new amendment by FIFA, the FIFA Council will now have authority in exceptional situations to approve or establish national team registration when players are being excluded due to circumstances beyond their control.
“This is a powerful and unprecedented step in world sport,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement. “By enabling Afghan women to compete for their country in official matches, we are turning principles into action.”
The Afghan women’s team, previously competing under the FIFA-supported refugee label “Afghan Women United,” has been in exile across countries including Australia, the United States, and parts of Europe since the Taliban takeover triggered a collapse of women’s sport in the country.
Many players were forced into hiding before a coordinated evacuation effort, heavily supported by former captain and activist Khalida Popal, helped relocate dozens of them abroad.
Since then, the squad has been advocating for official recognition as Afghanistan’s women’s national team rather than a refugee side, a label players had openly rejected.
“We are tired of getting called refugee,” player Zainab Mozaffari told CNN Sports.
The team briefly returned to the international scene in October, taking part in an unofficial FIFA-supported tournament in Morocco as part of its gradual reintegration into global football.
“For these players, representing Afghanistan is about identity, dignity and hope,” Popal said in a statement Tuesday. “This moment also shows that when we stand united, we can achieve more.”
Although the ruling comes too late for Afghanistan to enter qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, the team is now eligible to compete in future tournaments, including qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. FIFA has also pledged financial, technical, and logistical support for up to two years to assist the transition.
The policy change is expected to have wider implications, creating a precedent that could allow FIFA to intervene in cases where national federations discriminate against players in the future.
