Story thread · 3 reports / 3 sources

Players use football to champion Afghan women's rights

france24.com · 4dShare

The 23 players of Afghanistan's women's football team who now live abroad, have travelled to New Zealand for a training camp and to play two unofficial friendly games against the Cook Islands. Banned from playing at home, this is the first time they have been together since football governing body FIFA ruled in April 2026 that they could represent their country in official matches in the future.

First report: Banned from football at home, Afghan women's team reunite 8,000 miles away — bbc.co.uk, 5d