VANCOUVER — The FIFA Council, meeting in Vancouver, granted the Afghanistan women's refugee team eligibility to compete in international competitions. The council agreed to amend its regulations to recognize the team, which plays under the name Afghan Women United.

The team cannot qualify for the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil but could participate in qualification for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. The squad is expected to play a pair of exhibition matches during the June international window against opponents to be determined.

"We are proud of the beautiful journey initiated by Afghan Women United, and with this initiative we aim to enable them, as well as other FIFA member associations that may not be able to register a national or representative team for a FIFA competition, to make the next step, in coordination with the relevant confederation," FIFA President Gianni Infantino said. The team is coached by Pauline Hamill, and more than 80 Afghan refugee players are scattered across Australia, the United States and Europe.

The players fled Taliban rule nearly five years ago, after the Taliban shut down all women's sports when they returned to power in 2021. The Afghan women's team played their last competitive match in 2018. Two camps for the women were recently held, one in England and another in Australia.

Last October, the refugee team played in a tournament in Morocco that included Chad, Libya and Tunisia. Former captain and activist Khalida Popal and human rights groups lobbied for years on behalf of the team.

"For five years, we were told the Afghanistan women's national team could never compete again because the men who took our country would not allow it," Popal said. "I am extremely proud of this decision by FIFA and glad that our collective advocacy has not only changed the future for Afghan women but also ensured that no other national team has to sacrifice what our players did."

Prior to the Taliban's takeover, Afghanistan had 25 women players under contract, most of whom now live in Australia. The Afghanistan Football Federation was under investigation for misconduct involving the women's programme, including allegations of rape and physical abuse, and Keramuddin Keram was banned for life by FIFA. The federation has not been suspended from international football despite failing to acknowledge the women's team. FIFA regulations prohibit discrimination.

"FIFA has finally done the right thing by closing the loophole that allowed the Taliban's discriminatory policies to be enforced on the global stage," said Minky Worden, director of global initiatives for Human Rights Watch. She said the action "should serve as a model for how international sports bodies should respond when athletes are systemically excluded because of their gender, ethnicity or beliefs."