Several members of the Iranian women's national football team decided to return to their country after having sought asylum while the team was in Australia to participate in the Asian Cup.

The decision came days after several of them received humanitarian visas allowing them to stay, in a case that garnered widespread international attention.

According to reports, the team captain Zahra Kanbari, along with players Mona Hamoudi and Zahra Sarbali and a member of the coaching staff, left Australia heading to Kuala Lumpur to join the rest of the team delegation before returning to Tehran, despite some of them having the opportunity to stay in the country.

The issue emerged after some players refused to sing the Iranian national anthem before a match, which sparked sharp criticism in Iran and accusations of "treason" against them. This led several players to seek protection, fearing punishment upon their return.

Australian Interior Minister Tony Burke stated that the government provided the players with clear options to stay and offered them full support. However, he noted that the pressures and circumstances surrounding them might have influenced some of their decisions to return, leaving only two players from the group that sought asylum in Australia.