Human Rights Watch said FIFA’s decision to ensure Afghanistan’s women footballers return to international matches is a landmark opportunity to advance gender equity and human rights in sport.
The FIFA Council approved the amendment April 29, giving FIFA authority to register national teams for official competitions when a member association is unable to do so.
The decision allows the team, forced into exile after the Taliban returned to power in 2021, to seek official recognition and compete in FIFA competitions, including World Cup qualifying.
Human Rights Watch said the change closes a loophole that had effectively allowed Taliban restrictions on women’s sports to block them from international football.
“FIFA has finally done the right thing by closing the loophole that allowed the Taliban’s discriminatory policies to be enforced on the global stage,” said Minky Worden, director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch.
The Afghan women’s national team has lived and trained in exile in countries including Albania, Australia, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States since the Taliban banned women and girls from sports.
“For five years, we were told the Afghanistan Women’s National Team could never compete again because the men who took our country would not allow it,” said Khalida Popal, founder and director of Girl Power and a former captain of the team.
Players said the decision restores more than a pathway to competition.
“For the last few years, we have played under many names — as refugees, as Afghan Women United, and as guests of other clubs — but in our hearts, we were always the national team,” said Nazia Ali, an Afghan Women United player based in Australia, as quoted in HRW’s statement.
Human Rights Watch said the decision could set a precedent for international sports bodies responding to governments that exclude athletes because of gender, ethnicity or beliefs.
