Overview
- FIFA’s Council approved the change Tuesday in Vancouver, allowing Afghan Women United to represent Afghanistan in official competitions without approval from the Afghanistan Football Federation.
- The new rule lets FIFA, in consultation with the Asian Football Confederation, register a national team when a member association is unable to do so.
- Selection camps are under way in England and Australia, and plans call for a June international return that includes a New Zealand camp from June 1 to 9 with a planned game against the Cook Islands.
- The team is too late for 2027 Women’s World Cup qualifying but can enter the pathway for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
- FIFA will lead registration and operations and provide human, technical and financial backing for up to two years to rebuild a safe, stable route back to play after the Taliban’s 2021 ban on women’s sport drove players into exile.