Since Sunday, October 26, Afghan women's footballers have returned to the international stage for the FIFA Unites Women's Series tournament in Morocco. Although the national women's team was disbanded by the Taliban after 2021, these exiled athletes have banded together to form the unofficial Afghan Women United team, now recognized by FIFA.

This participation is a powerful symbol of resilience and empowerment. Afghan Women United captain Fatima Haidari expressed her gratitude: “We are deeply grateful to FIFA for giving us this opportunity and privilege to represent what women are capable of.”

This is a clear message to the world: women must be equal to men in society, especially on the sports field and in countries like Afghanistan that have not had the opportunity to do so in recent years.

Their first match against Chad ended in a 6-1 defeat, despite Afghanistan taking the lead. The result, however, is secondary, as the primary objective is to bring these players back into the international spotlight, as part of FIFA's broader strategy to promote inclusive women's football.

The "FIFA Unites Women's Series 2025" friendly tournament, focused on inclusion and solidarity, takes place in Morocco until November 1 and also brings together teams from Tunisia, Libya and Chad.

As a reminder, the Afghan women's national team, created in 2007 and managed by the Afghanistan Football Federation, ceased to exist in 2021, with women being deprived of the right to play football and many other rights in their country.