A tournament featuring a team of refugee women’s soccer players from Afghanistan, to be held in Morocco, has been rescheduled for later this week, FIFA announced Wednesday.
The tournament, named “FIFA Unites: Women’s Series 2025,” He was originally scheduled to leave for Dubai on Thursday.Chad, Libya, and the host United Arab Emirates were to be included.
The revised tournament begins on Sunday and will include refugee teams, Chad, Tunisia and Libya. FIFA, soccer’s world governing body and tournament organizer, did not give a reason for the move.
There were media reports in Australia, where many members of the refugee team are based, that the players were unable to obtain visas to the UAE.
Official women’s matches have not been held in Afghanistan since 2018, and women’s sports were shut down with the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. The Afghanistan Football Federation is obligated to avoid discrimination under FIFA regulations, but the International Football Federation has not been suspended.
Athletes have been fighting for official recognition, but Refugee teams supported by FIFA He cannot yet officially represent Afghanistan in the World Cup qualifiers.
In a statement, FIFA reiterated its “remaining commitment to the continued implementation of the extensive FIFA Action Strategy for Women’s Football in Afghanistan, approved by the FIFA Executive Board in May 2025. This includes the organization and extensive support provided to Afghan women players during the selection process and preparations ahead of the FIFA Unites Women’s Series 2025.”
FIFA has announced that refugee players who fled Afghanistan and settled in other countries have chosen the name Afghanistan Women’s United.
Tunisia is ranked 96th in the world, while Chad and Libya do not yet have a FIFA ranking.
All matches in the round robin tournament will be broadcast live on FIFA’s internal streaming platform.
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