Protest and salute
Once again there is a fuss about Iran’s female footballers
03/05/2026 – 12:58 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Iran’s women used their first game at the Asian Cup to stage a protest. Before the second game they set a completely different example.
During the second group game of the Women’s Asian Championship against Australia, Iran’s footballers sang along to the national anthem and even saluted. Three days earlier they had remained silent in the opening game against South Korea (0-3) – behavior that was seen as a protest against the Iranian rulers.
Iranian exiles also protested against the rulers of South Korea in the stadium in the Australian city of Gold Coast. Last Saturday, Israel and the USA launched air strikes on Iran. Among others, revolutionary leader Ali Khamenei died. The Iranian team had already traveled to the tournament before the war broke out.
Coach Marziyeh Jafari commented on the situation of her players before the game against Australia: “Of course we are very worried about the health of our families, our relatives and all other people in Iran with whom we currently have no contact whatsoever.” Fear for their families back home could be a reason for the players saluting before the game.
Even before the Australia game (0:4), the protests in the stands continued. Some spectators whistled during the playing of the national anthem. The Australian news agency AAP reported on exiled Iranians shouting “Thank you Bibi, thank you Trump” in Gold Coast. The call was aimed at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump. Both had authorized the air strikes. The fact that the players no longer protested but even saluted could have happened due to pressure from the association.
The behavior of the players is reminiscent of the Iranian men’s national team at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. There, too, the team was silent before the first game against England. Before the second game against Wales, they sang the anthem again – presumably under pressure from the association.
