Afghanistan’s women footballers are preparing to return to official FIFA competition after a five-year absence, following a landmark rule change that allows the exiled players to represent their country internationally.
The team has been unable to play official competitive internationals since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, forcing many players to flee Afghanistan and continue their football careers in the diaspora.
The FIFA Council approved the rule change in April 2026, allowing a national or representative team to be registered under exceptional circumstances when a member association is unable to do so. The decision effectively clears the way for Afghan women footballers to compete under the Afghan flag despite the restrictions imposed on women’s sport inside the country.
Many of the players have since reunited through Afghan Women United, a FIFA-supported initiative created to provide training and competitive opportunities for Afghan women living outside the country. Selection camps have been held in countries including England and Australia, bringing together players who had been scattered across the diaspora.
Former Afghanistan captain Khalida Popal has described the development as a significant victory for Afghan women, saying the opportunity represents identity, dignity and hope for players who refused to give up on representing their country.
The return is about more than football. For the players, stepping back onto the international stage offers an opportunity to reclaim a part of their identity after years of exile, while sending a message of resilience to women and girls still living under severe restrictions in Afghanistan.
Although the team’s return cannot undo the years lost to exile, it marks a new chapter for Afghan women’s football. For a generation of players forced away from home, the chance to once again represent Afghanistan on an international stage is being seen as a powerful symbol that their place in the game—and in public life—cannot simply be erased.
