The Iranian women’s national soccer team is mourning the loss of Zahra Azadpour, a prominent player in the Iranian Women’s League, who tragically lost her life just before the team’s scheduled trip to Australia for the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup.

Azadpour, aged 27, was fatally shot by Islamic Republic forces on Friday, January 9, during a peaceful protest in Karaj, a city near Tehran. The demonstration was unarmed, and the news of her death has sent shockwaves throughout the soccer community.

As a talented athlete, Azadpour played for Mehregan Pardis in the Iranian Women’s League and had been invited to participate in national team training camps. Her career also included stints with Azarakhsh and Saba football clubs, showcasing her significant contributions to the sport in Iran.

In January, widespread protests erupted in Iran as citizens voiced their discontent with the government and the country’s deteriorating economic conditions. Some protesters even called for a return to the monarchy.

The response from security forces was swift and severe, with violent crackdowns and an internet blackout imposed across the nation. While the exact number of casualties remains unclear, the unrest is believed to have resulted in thousands of deaths.

Iran Women’s football player Zahra Azadpour (pictured) was tragically killed in January by gunfire from Islamic Republic forces

Azadpour had been killed during a peaceful protest in Karaj near to Tehran

Amidst this turmoil, the Iranian women’s national team arrived in Australia last week to participate in the Women’s Asian Cup. Their courage and resilience in the face of the ongoing conflict have been widely commended.

It is only the second major tournament the side has participated in. The first came at the 2022 Women’s Asian Cup in India.

Captain Zahra Ghanbari and head coach Marziyeh Jafari sat down for their first press conference of the tournament on Sunday, a day after the United States and Israel launched strike attacks on Iran, subsequently triggering a retaliation from the Islamic Republic.

Just hours before the presser, US President Donald Trump confirmed that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed in a joint US-Israeli strike.

Ghanbari and Jafari were asked three questions during the media conference, with one journalist questioning what the coach and captain thought about Ali Khamenei’s death.

Jafari answered in Farsi: ‘I think we shouldn’t talk about these issues right now. A team has come for very important competitions that matter a lot to women. Next question, please.’

An AFC media representative interjected: ‘OK, I think that’s all for your question. Thank you for asking. Let’s just focus on the game itself.’

The questions then turned to football, with Jafari stating that her players were ready for the tournament.

Iran’s women’s Asian Cup squad arrived in Australia last week and have been hailed for their bravery 

Captain Zahra Ghanbari and head coach Marziyeh Jafari sat down for their first press conference of the tournament on Sunday but did not respond to questions about the conflict in their country

The press conference came just hours before US President Donald Trump confirmed that air strikes had killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei 

‘In Iran, we had players that were playing in the league and they were prepared by the league competitions,’ Jafari said through a translator.

‘After that, we joined together at two or three training camps and then we came to Australia.

‘Here we had two or three full training sessions, and I hope that tomorrow we can show you a very nice match.’

Ghanbari added: ‘I do believe that this tournament is so great and really great teams are participating here, very experienced teams are participating in this competition.

‘We really want to qualify for the World Cup and we know that Korea, Australia and the Philippines are tough games here.

‘But we really want to qualify from our group and we want to do our best to qualify for the World Cup. We wish to qualify for a World Cup.’

On Tuesday night, the Iran captain led her team out at the Gold Coast Stadium for their tournament opener against South Korea.

The players lined up on the pitch as their national anthem played, but the team refused to sing.

Iran’s women’s players refused to sing the country’s national anthem prior to the match

‘They have obviously taken strength from events unfolding in their country,’ veteran journalist Tracey Holmes said.

A group of supporters were also spotted inside the Gold Coast Stadium, flying Iran’s Imperial flag, which was used before the revolution and is also flown by those who oppose the current Iranian government.

‘There was also a group of Iranian supporters at the game flying the pre-Islamic Revolutionary flag featuring the golden lion and sun,’ Holmes added.

South Korea claimed a 3-0 victory, but struggled to break down Iran’s resolute defence in the first half. 

Ghanbari’s side, who are ranked 68th in the FIFA women’s world rankings, kept South Korea to a 1-0 lead at half-time, even after their opponents had 20 attempts on goal in the first half.

Choe Yu-ri gave South Korea the lead in the 37th minute, before Kim Hye-ri converted from the penalty spot after half-time. Ko Yoo-jin wrapped up the match in the 75th minute with a glancing header.

Iran will now play Australia on Thursday night at the Gold Coast Stadium in the team’s second group stage match at the tournament.

Ahead of the match, Matildas star Amy Sayer lauded the Iranian players for their bravery.

Iran would go on to suffer a 3-0 defeat by South Korea during their Asian Cup opening match

Matildas stars Sam Kerr and Amy Sayer both praised the Iranian women’s side for their bravery

‘Our heart goes out to them and their families, it’s ‌a difficult situation, and it’s really brave of them to be ‌able to be here and to perform,’ Sayer said on Tuesday.

‘They ​played last night, and they put on a really strong performance, even with the political climate ​that’s going on and the struggles that they might be going through.

‘We’re excited and looking forward to the game on Thursday… The ​best we can do to contribute is to just give them the best game of football that we’re able and to show them the respect on the field.

‘Hopefully, the ‌situation improves, and they can keep staying safe in Australia.’

Matildas captain Sam Kerr added: ‘They’re young girls and young footballers. We’ll treat the game like any other game and show the team the utmost respect and prepare properly.’