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meet the former afghan soccer captain who fought to bring exiled female players back to the pitch
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khalida popal’s smile shone brighter than the sun this week, after fifa officials meeting in vancouver changed their rules to allow female soccer players from afghanistan to return to international competition.
“it’s a historical moment for the women of afghanistan, for the women around the world. it’s a victory,” a beaming popal, the former afghanistan women’s national team captain, told postmedia while at the university of b.c. for a fifa event.
it’s a moment popal, and other former players from her home country, have been fighting for since afghan women were stripped of most human rights when the authoritarian taliban regime resumed power in 2021.
to regain the right to play soccer — or football as it is called outside north america — at the highest level of competition is about more than sports, she argued.
“football for us has always been a great platform, a platform to stand and use our voices for our sisters who are erased from the society,” popal said.
on tuesday, fifa president gianni infantino and other officials met with representatives of afghan women’s football, including popal, as part of the fifa congress in vancouver.
the congress — fifa’s legislative body, comprised of representatives from the 211 countries who are members of the organization — is happening here this week in advance of vancouver being one of the host cities of the 2026 world cup in june and july.
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the rule change allows afghan female players to once again represent their country in international competitions. the change was made under “exceptional circumstances” when a member country, in this case afghanistan, is “unable” to support the team, says a fifa news release.
“the ultimate aim is to ensure that players are not excluded from international football due to situations beyond their control,” it adds.
fifa president gianni infantino with khalida popal, former captain of the afghan national team, at a meeting with afghan women’s football on tuesday in vancouver. source: fifa
eva marie uzcategui - fifa
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fifa via getty images
a 2025 united nations report said taliban policies had led to “the most severe women’s rights crisis in the world,” with harsh restrictions on education and employment, and an erosion of safety and independence.
the afgan team competing in future international competitions will be comprised of diaspora women who have been able to flee the country, and their training and games will be held in other nations. popal is heartbroken that women in afghanistan will not be able to play, but vows to use this opportunity to continue to raise awareness about their dangerous plight.
“we will continue advocating for them,” she said. “we will be their voice.”
popal was a key founder of the first afghanistan women’s national team in 2007, but that ended with the return of the taliban, which canada deems a terrorist organization.
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“our players lost their right to represent afghanistan as a national team or play any sport, because there is a ban on education and sport for women,” popal said. “they’ve taken the right from women from active participation in society.”
popal said she has worked with international allies in recent years to help evacuate hundreds of female players, youth and adults, along with their families, to safe countries.
she has also been “really pushing hard” to get fifa to adjust a rule requiring a member country to recognize its national teams and approve them for international play. she is grateful, she said, that officials listened, culminating in the announcement this week in vancouver.
“this morning i woke up with tears of happiness, because this is the moment we have been waiting for for so long,” she said wednesday.
khalida popal worked with international allies in recent years to help female players from afghanistan relocate to safe countries.
lori culbert
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postmedia
amnesty international reported in 2025 that popal and other afghan footballers living in exile had campaigned for more than three years for fifa to “intervene and provide them with the official recognition and financial support denied to them by afghanistan.”
in may 2025, fifa approved the creation of the afghan women united team so diaspora athletes could play some games, including matches in morocco. the change this week means the afghan women can now play in competitive international matches.
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fifa, or the fédération internationale de football association, will lead the administrative steps of getting the team registered and operational, and will provide “technical and financial” resources, although details were not included in the news release.
in a statement wednesday, afghan women’s team vice-captain mursal sadat said: “despite the pain of displacement, despite the pain of separating from our families, we still continue to play soccer, to keep the love in our hearts. and as i say, we have always been the beating heart of women of afghanistan.”
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