Iran women’s team sings national anthem after silent protest at Asian Cup

Iran's women's national football team sang and saluted during the national anthem ahead of their recent matches against Australia and the Philippines at the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 This marked a notable change from their opening game of the tournament, where the players had stood motionless and silent as the anthem played

In their first match against South Korea on a Monday, the entire Iranian team maintained a silent protest This act occurred two days after a major military conflict was reported to have begun between the US, Israel, and Iran However, no public reason was given by the team or its officials for the initial silent stance, which is a key element of the Iran national team protest

The team's approach changed in their subsequent fixtures on Australia's Gold Coast. On Thursday, all players were observed both saluting and singing the anthem before their match against the host nation, Australia They repeated this action on Sunday before their final group game against the Philippines, which was played in rainy conditions

The shift in the team's demonstration, from silence to singing the Iran women's football anthem, has been a significant point of observation during the tournament. The reasons for the team's change in conduct have not been officially explained The sequence of events has drawn attention throughout the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026