FIFA Approves Afghanistan Women’s Return to International Football Under New Exceptional Circumstances Rule

FIFA has formally approved the return of Afghanistan’s women’s national football team to international competition following a rule change ratified at a council meeting in Vancouver on Tuesday, ending a period of official exclusion that stretches back to the country’s last competitive international in December 2018.

The governing body’s existing regulations had barred it from recognising a national team unless that team was also recognised by its own member association — in Afghanistan’s case, the Afghanistan Football Federation. That framework effectively locked out Afghan women players after the Taliban’s return to power in 2021 triggered sweeping restrictions on women’s rights, including a blanket ban on women’s sport that drove many players to seek asylum abroad.

The newly approved amendment enables FIFA to sanction a national or representative team “under exceptional circumstances” where players would otherwise be prevented from representing their country due to “situations beyond their control,” according to the BBC Sport report. Afghan players will now be eligible to compete in official matches with full international recognition.

Former Afghanistan women’s captain Khalida Popal welcomed the development, describing the team’s potential as something that transcends sport. “Our team has always been known as an activist team,” Popal told Reuters. “But this opportunity, with the right support from FIFA, will be the time for us to also show some skills and develop the youth talent in the diaspora. I know it’s going to be tough because Afghan women inside Afghanistan will struggle to be part of that. But if we can still be the voice for them to send out hope messages and show them our support that you are not forgotten, then we will continue to use our platform.”

FIFA President Gianni Infantino also addressed the decision, framing it as a natural progression from the pilot programme already in motion. “We are proud of the beautiful journey initiated by Afghan Women United and, with this initiative, we aim to enable them, as well as other FIFA member associations that may not be able to register a national or representative team for a FIFA competition, to make the next step,” Infantino said.

The ruling builds directly on the formation of Afghan Women United, a refugee team that FIFA sanctioned and supported under a one-year pilot scheme launched in May 2025. The pilot followed years of lobbying by displaced Afghan players and culminated in the team participating in the FIFA United Women’s Series, playing matches against Chad, Tunisia, and Libya in Morocco in October and November 2025. Their first victory came against Libya in November.

More than 80 Afghan female footballers are currently based across Australia, Europe, the United States, and the Middle East, among them a number of the 25 players who held contracts prior to the Taliban’s 2021 takeover. The diaspora has formed the backbone of the squad’s reconstitution efforts.

While the team will not be eligible to enter qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, they are expected to compete in qualifying for the 2028 Olympic Games. Regional selection camps, hosted by FIFA, are currently taking place in England and Australia ahead of a training camp scheduled in New Zealand in June.

The decision sets a significant regulatory precedent, potentially opening a pathway for other member associations that find themselves unable to field a recognised national team due to political or humanitarian crises. The extent to which the framework will be applied beyond Afghanistan remains to be seen.