Afghan women’s team wins FIFA recognition despite Taliban ban

Afghanistan’s women’s footballers have been cleared to compete as the country’s official national team, despite the Taliban-run football authorities refusing to recognise a female club.

The unprecedented decision by FIFA, taken at a council meeting in Toronto, allows the team to enter qualification pathways for the 2028 Summer Olympics as well as future World Cups and Asian Cups.

"It's something really huge for us, to show the world that Afghan women and girls are capable of doing amazing things," goalkeeper Elaha Safdari told reporters. "It's a hard slap to the face of the Taliban and those people who were against us."

Safdari was part of the Afghanistan Women’s United squad that competed in the ‘FIFA Unites Women’s Series’ in Morocco in 2025. The team—made up largely of refugees now living in Australia and Europe—had not been officially recognised as a national side at the time and has faced significant political and logistical hurdles.

The squad, which receives FIFA support during international breaks, is set to regroup in New Zealand for its first matches since the Morocco tournament. The team is expected to face the Cook Islands during an eight-day training camp before Olympic qualifiers begin later this year, opening the door to further international competitions under their newly recognised status.

Gianni Infantino described the move as “momentous,” saying it allows FIFA to “approve the registration of a national or representative team under exceptional circumstances where a Member Association is unable to do so.”

"This is a powerful and unprecedented step in world sport," he added. "FIFA has listened to these players as part of its responsibility to protect the right of every girl and woman to play football and to represent who they are."

Infantino also pointed to FIFA’s 2025 “Strategy for Action for Afghan Women’s Football” as a key factor behind the decision.

By Nazrin Sadigova