Amnesty International Urges FIFA to Protect Afghanistan’s Women’s National Football Team
Human rights organizations have called on FIFA to take action against the exclusion of Afghanistan’s women’s national football team from international competitions, citing ongoing discrimination and restrictions imposed by the Taliban.
A report by the Sport & Rights Alliance, published on March 25, urges FIFA to officially recognize the team, whose members have been living in exile since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
The report comes just two days before the draw for the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, a tournament that serves as a qualifier for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. However, Afghanistan’s women’s team will miss the competition for the second consecutive time.
Amnesty International’s South Asia campaigner, Samira Hamidi, said that although the team fled the Taliban in 2021, systemic gender discrimination continues to deprive them of their right to compete in international tournaments.
Hamidi and other activists have also urged the United Nations to investigate the Taliban’s treatment of women as a crime against humanity.
The report, titled ‘It’s not just a game. It’s part of who I am: Afghan Women Footballers’ Fight for the Right to Play’ highlights how the team, once a symbol of Afghanistan’s progress, became a target of retaliation following the Taliban’s takeover.
Despite being relocated to countries such as Australia, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States, many players remain determined to compete under Afghanistan’s flag on the international stage.
However, FIFA’s regulations require recognition from the Afghanistan Football Federation, which is currently controlled by the Taliban and has imposed a blanket ban on women’s sports.
Khalida Popal, founder of Afghanistan’s women’s football team and head of the Girl Power Organization, said the game is at a critical stage, and the Taliban believe they are winning. She added that if FIFA changes its rules and allows the team to play, Afghan girls and women can prove they belong in sports, education, and society, and they will not be silenced.
