Four years after a harrowing escape from their homeland, members of the Afghanistan women's national soccer team are stepping onto the international stage once again—this time, as refugees. The squad, now known as Afghan Women United, is making waves at the FIFA Unites: Women’s Series 2025, a four-team friendly tournament currently underway in Morocco. For these women, just lacing up their boots and representing their country is a triumph that transcends the scoreboard.
It’s hard to overstate the significance of this moment. In 2021, the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan led to an immediate and sweeping ban on women’s sports. Many players, fearing for their safety, fled the country, some burning their soccer kits to avoid detection during their dangerous journeys out. “We faced challenges or difficulties that I don’t even want to remember because it was really bitter,” captain Fatima Haidari, now living in Italy, recalled. “It is about leaving your homeland and all your friends, family and all the people that you know. What makes me sad is there are still some girls and women that are not playing, but they hope to be on the international pitch like us, like we are here now. We want to be their voice.”
The FIFA Unites: Women’s Series 2025 marks the first time in years that many of these athletes have played together. The tournament kicked off on Sunday, October 26, 2025, in Berrechid, Morocco, about 40 kilometers from Casablanca. Afghan Women United, Chad, Libya, and Tunisia round out the field. The Afghan team’s opening match was a tough one—they fell 6-1 to Chad, but the result hardly told the full story. Melbourne-based striker Manozh Noori scored the team’s lone goal on a penalty kick, triggering wild celebrations on the pitch and among supporters. For these women, the goal symbolized hope and resilience.
The road to Morocco was anything but smooth. The tournament was originally set to be held in the United Arab Emirates, but last-minute visa issues for some players—particularly those now living in Australia—forced a relocation. “It’s really exciting to see each other, hug each other and finally share and play together,” Haidari said. “As an athlete I say, you will face challenges and difficulties in your life, but you always can overcome and never give up. Never give up.”
The Afghan women’s national team last played an official competitive match in 2018. After the Taliban’s takeover, the Afghan soccer federation itself faced a storm of controversy, including serious allegations of misconduct involving the women’s program. The federation’s president, Keramuddin Keram, was banned for life by FIFA following accusations of rape and physical abuse. With the team disbanded and women’s sports outlawed, players scattered across the globe, with many settling in Australia, Europe, and the United States.
Despite these setbacks, the players never stopped fighting for their right to play. Their efforts, along with those of former captain and activist Khalida Popal and various human rights groups, led to renewed international attention. In May 2025, FIFA approved the creation of an Afghan women’s refugee team, appointing Pauline Hamill as coach. FIFA then organized identification camps in Australia and England, where 70 hopefuls tried out for a place on the squad. The final roster was trimmed to 23 players, all united by a desire to represent Afghanistan, even if only in spirit for now.
“With all the challenges that we have been through, all the barriers that we faced, finally, after four years and some months, the girls are playing football as the Afghan team, but with no title,” Popal said. “I’m glad the girls are playing. Is it enough? No. But it’s a good start.”
The team’s official name, Afghan Women United, was selected after consultations with FIFA. The players’ goal is clear: gain meaningful recognition as a national team and, eventually, establish an independent Afghan women’s soccer federation. While the Afghan federation is obligated under FIFA statutes to avoid discrimination, it has yet to acknowledge the women’s team or advocate for their return to official competition. The FIFA Council’s approval of the Strategy for Action for Afghan Women’s Football in May 2025 was a step forward, but Afghan Women United cannot yet compete in Women’s World Cup qualifiers or Asian championships.
Coach Pauline Hamill emphasized the importance of this tournament: “We want to show what we can do in the future, we want to show our potential. And then it’s about, from this starting point, how we then move forward. So to get back on the pitch for these players is a big win. They’ve been waiting a long time. And this tournament ... gives us the perfect chance to play matches together and then be really excited about the future.”
For the players, the matches in Morocco are about much more than wins and losses. They’re about reclaiming a voice, a dream, and a sense of normalcy. “I feel safe. I feel free as a girl, as a woman, to have a normal life, to play, to dream,” Haidari said. “Actually that’s why, not only in my dreams, but I carry the dreams of all girls and women in Afghanistan that want to play.”
Afghan Women United’s journey is far from over. Their next match is set for Wednesday, October 29, 2025, against Tunisia, followed by a clash with Libya on Saturday, November 1, 2025. Each game is another step toward their ultimate goal of official recognition—and perhaps, one day, the chance to compete on the world’s biggest stages as a fully sanctioned national team.
Popal summed up the team’s determination: “Our players have been fighting for that right for so long. Of course, there’s not governance in this initiative and the pilot, but we would love to have it in the future.”
As the tournament in Morocco continues, Afghan Women United are proving that even in exile, the spirit of the game—and the fight for equality—can never be silenced. Their presence on the pitch is a powerful reminder that, sometimes, the most important victories aren’t measured by the scoreline, but by the courage to play at all.
