Iran’s women’s football team refused to sing the national anthem at the Asian Cup

Iran’s national women’s football team made this statement on Monday night during the opening match of the Women’s Asian Cup, as they refused to sing when the national anthem was played over the loudspeakers at Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast.

The players were in their traditional line before their match against South Korea, when Iran’s national anthem began to play. The women, facing forward and unable to move, were shaking themselves as it seemed that there were scoffers in the crowd. Later, there was a standing ovation from those present following the 3-0 victory over South Korea.

Iran’s manager, Marziyeh Jafari, was also seen smiling as he watched his players remain silent.

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The silence is especially deafening following the confirmed US-Israeli strikes over the weekend that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran has since faced missile and drone attacks on Israel and regional countries that host US allies or military bases, including Bahrain and Qatar.

During a media interrogation on Sunday, the captain of Iran’s women’s national team, Zahra Ghanbari, and Jafari, were asked about Khamenei’s death. The question was quickly shot down.

Jafari responded in Farsi, but an AFC press representative cut off his response without translation, according to ESPN.

“Okay, I think that’s only because of your question. Thank you for asking. Let’s focus on the game itself,” said the lawyer before being questioned.

Although it is not yet known how Jafari responded, the national anthem which is usually met by some players is enough.

A major military engagement by the US and Israel, known as “Operation Epic Fury,” left many of Iran’s top leaders dead, including Khamenei. President Donald Trump warned on Sunday of any retaliation by Iran, saying that if Iran “strikes too hard,” it would be met with “unprecedented force.”

The attack had an impact on the world of sports and the rest of the country; The president of the football association shared a negative opinion about playing in this year’s FIFA World Cup. Iran have already booked their spot in the tournament and will face New Zealand in Los Angeles in June to kick off the Group G schedule.

of the Islamic Republic of Iran stands out at the start of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026 match between Korea Republic v Islamic Republic of Iran at the Gold Coast Stadium on March 2, 2026 in Gold Coast, Australia. (Albert Perez/Getty Images)

“What is certain is that after this attack, we will not be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope,” said football president Mehdi Taj to the Varzesh3 sports portal on Sunday.

“The American government attacked our country, and this is an incident that cannot be answered.”

FIFA also noted that it will be monitoring the situation with Iran.

Iran’s national team will not be preparing for the World Cup at this time, as 40 days of mourning will begin following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. However, the women’s national team was allowed to participate in the Asian Cup.

Elsewhere in the world of sports, Fox News Digital has learned that Israel’s national gymnastics team has suspended all training and team activities amid the attack, with the Israel Gymnastics Federation (IGF) issuing a statement declaring that the violence caused “unavoidable disruption.”

““The current security situation in our region has caused unavoidable disruptions in our regular training schedule and has created great uncertainty regarding the national team’s training plans, especially since we are at the beginning of the international season,” read the statement.

The Iran team poses for a team photo before the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026 match against South Korea in Gold Coast on March 2, 2026. (Izhar Khan/AFP)

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A source inside the group also told Fox News Digital on Saturday that the gymnasts have been moving between bomb shelters since the Iranian strikes began.

An Iranian airstrike killed at least eight Israelis on Sunday, when dozens of missiles landed a few kilometers from Jerusalem in Beit Shemesh.

Fox News’ Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.

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