FIFA has unveiled a series of significant governance reforms aimed at enabling members of Afghanistan’s women’s national team to once again compete on the international stage, representing their homeland.

Since the Taliban resumed control in 2021, Afghanistan’s women’s national team has been absent from official competitive play. The Taliban’s return brought with it stringent restrictions on women and girls, impacting education, employment, and sports, which forced many female athletes to abandon their pursuits or leave the country entirely.

In the wake of these challenging circumstances, several players from the Afghan national team have found a new home in Melbourne, seeking refuge and a chance to continue their passion for soccer.

Mursal Sadat, a co-founder of Afghanistan United and a member of the Afghan women’s team, has been advocating for this pivotal moment for nearly five years. Her efforts have always transcended the sport itself. “In Afghanistan, women face severe restrictions; they cannot study or play sports. Our fight was not just about playing; it was about representation and being a voice for those who are silenced,” she shared with SBS News.

Mursal Sadat, co-founder of Afghanistan United and member of the Afghan women’s team, has campaigned for this moment for almost half a decade. She said her advocacy had been about much more than the game.

“Obviously, in Afghanistan, women cannot study, let alone play sports. It was about more than just playing; it was about representation, about being the voice of the voiceless,” Sadat told SBS News.

The players mounted a challenge to play in the 2023 Women’s World Cup and again in the Asian Cup, but both bids failed.

The timing of FIFA’s reforms, though welcome, are somewhat awkward — the team will also miss out on the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil. However, there is still time to compete for qualification at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

“Some of the challenges, when we saw the women’s World Cup in Australia, and we weren’t allowed to compete, I personally cried a lot. Having a tour of the locker room and being there was very painful,” Sadat said.

In 2025, FIFA launched the Afghan Women’s Refugee Team, made up of diaspora members of the former Afghan national team.

Sadat said the moment was amazing.

“It was a milestone, it was a highlight of the journey,” she said.

“We believed that this is just the beginning, and it will happen. People always say FIFA is home to all football players around the world, how can the doors be closed to one member of the family?”

For Sadat and her team, their focus was on getting back into the game, playing official games and ranking once again.

“I’ll let the future decide, and I’m hoping to see a better outcome for women,” she said.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the organisation aimed to enable the Afgan players, as well as other FIFA member associations unable to register a national or representative team, to make the next step.

“We are proud of the beautiful journey initiated by Afghan Women United,” he said in a statement.

Sadat said the moment was more than just a win for her team, but justice in the face of the Taliban regime.

“And it’s not just so significant, it’s a slap in the face to the regime, who make women suffer because of their own ideology, and shows them that you cannot restrict women from doing what they love, from playing the sport that they love.

“But it takes resistance, it takes resilience, it takes courage, and I think we can take this journey and this historic moment to show the next generation that nothing is impossible.”

The selection phase for the next Afghan Women United team is underway, with regional selection camps in England and Australia.

For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.