The Australian government confirmed that five players from the Iranian women's national football team have been granted humanitarian visas to stay in the country, while the rest of the squad prepares to leave Australian territory following the controversy during the AFC Women's Asian Cup. The situation gained international traction after former US President Donald Trump asked Canberra to grant asylum to the players, fearing they could face retaliation upon returning to Iran. Following talks between the two governments, Australian authorities indicated that five of the 25 players requested assistance to remain in the country. Australian Interior Minister Tony Burke explained that conversations with the athletes began on Monday and that ultimately five of them expressed their desire to stay in Australia. A bus carrying players departed from a hotel in the city of Gold Coast to the airport under police escort; from there, they are expected to travel first to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, before continuing their journey. The controversy erupted when several players refused to sing the Iranian national anthem in their debut match against South Korea at the Asian Cup, drawing criticism from official Iranian media, which went as far as to label them "traitors." Following that decision, they were relocated to a safe place with the support of the Federal Police and granted humanitarian visas. Meanwhile, the rest of the team has begun its departure from the country.
