Iran captain Zahra Ghanbari leaves Australia after asylum bid as Iranian women’s football team fears family members missing

Zahra Ghanbari, the captain of Iran’s women’s national football team, has decided to leave Australia and return to Iran after briefly trying to seek asylum. The 34 year old footballer had been among seven members of the team who hoped to stay in Australia for safety. But now, five of them have stepped back from that plan and chosen to go home. According to Iran’s state news agency Islamic Republic News Agency, Zahra Ghanbari will travel back to Iran through Malaysia. Her decision came as reports spread that some players’ families in Iran were facing pressure and threats.Only two of the original seven team members remain in Australia. The Australian government had earlier agreed to provide humanitarian visas to the group after they left their team handlers and asked police for help. The situation has become emotional and tense. Some players fear what could happen if they return home, while others say the pressure on their families has become too heavy to ignore.

Zahra Ghanbari joins Zahra Soltan Meshkehkar Mona Hamoudi and Zahra Sarbali in reversing asylum decision after family threats emerge

Zahra Ghanbari is not the only player who changed her mind. Zahra Soltan Meshkehkar, Mona Hamoudi, and Zahra Sarbali also decided to return to Iran after first trying to stay in Australia.Earlier in the week, one player had already stepped back from the asylum request. That moment raised serious concern among supporters and former athletes.Former Iranian futsal player Shiva Amini, who now lives outside Iran, spoke about what may have influenced the decision. Writing on X, she said the pressure on the players’ families had become unbearable.“Several of the players decided to go back because the threats against their families became unbearable and the intimidation was relentless,” Shiva Amini wrote.She also said she had received information that Iran’s football officials were working with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to pressure families inside the country.The story became even more serious after messages from relatives began to surface. One player reportedly received a voice message from her mother saying, “Don’t come back to Iran… they will kill you.” Another message sent secretly from a family member said simply, “You need to stay.”The players had already drawn attention earlier in the tournament. During their opening Women’s Asia Cup match against South Korea on March 2, the Iranian team stood silently during the national anthem. Many people saw the moment as a quiet protest.Back home in Iran, some media outlets strongly criticized the players. Reports described them as “war traitors,” which increased the pressure on the team.Iranian media reacted differently to Zahra Ghanbari’s decision to return. The Islamic Republic News Agency wrote that she was “returning to the embrace of the homeland.” Another outlet, Mehr News Agency, called the move a “patriotic decision.”Meanwhile, the government’s Sports Ministry released a statement praising the players who chose to go back. It said the team’s “national spirit and patriotism” had overcome outside influence.For now, the future remains uncertain for the two players who are still in Australia. Their safety and final decisions will likely continue to draw attention around the world.