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Two Iranian footballers, who decided to stay in Australia rather than return to their home country amid a conflict with the United States and Israel, were seen training with a club on Monday.
Brisbane Roar posted photos on their Instagram account showing Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh with the professional club. It was their first appearance shared publicly since it became known that they were among the players granted asylum in the country.
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Iranian footballer Atefeh Ramezanisadeh kicks a ball during a training session for the Brisbane Roar club in Brisbane, Australia, Monday, March 16, 2026. (Brisbane Roar via AP)
The two players were seen smiling without wearing a hijab as they posed alongside the Roar members.
“We remain committed to providing them with a supportive environment as they navigate the next stages,” Brisbane Roar CEO Kaz Patafta wrote in the social media post.
Ramezanisadeh commented: “Thank you for everything.”
The club plays in the elite women’s division of the Australian A-League. The club declined to comment further and referred all questions to the Australian Department of Home Affairs. Brisbane offered Iranian women footballers a “place to train, play and belong” last week.
SOME IRANIAN FOOTBALL PLAYERS WHO WAS GRANTED ASYLUM BY AUSTRALIA DECIDED TO RETURN HOME, LOCAL OFFICIAL SAYS
Iranian soccer player Fatemeh Pasandideh kicks a ball during a training session for the Brisbane Roar club in Brisbane, Australia, Monday, March 16, 2026. (Brisbane Roar via AP)
The Australian government offered asylum to every member of the Iranian women’s football team as they left to return to Iran last week. The fight resulted in seven members of the team staying in Australia. But at least five left the country to later return to their club.
President Donald Trump was among world leaders who called on Australia to grant asylum to the women.
At least one Iranian broadcaster called the women “wartime traitors” as they did not appear to sing their national anthem before a Women’s Asian Cup match.
An Iranian official dismissed suggestions that the women would be in danger if they returned home.
“Iran welcomes its children with open arms and the government guarantees their safety,” said Iran’s first vice president, Mohammad Reza Aref. “No one has the right to interfere in the family affairs of the Iranian nation and play the role of a kinder nanny than a mother.”
Iranian soccer player Fatemeh Pasandideh, fourth from the right in the front row, and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh, fourth from the left in the front row, pose for a photo with the Brisbane Roar women’s A-League team at a training session in Brisbane, Australia, Monday, March 16, 2026. (Brisbane Roar via AP)
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The rest of the team flew from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur and then on to Oman.
