Renowned TV host Piers Morgan criticizes soccer icon Megan Rapinoe for staying silent on the plight of Iranian women’s national team players who sought asylum in Australia during the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup.
Iranian Players Defect Amid Tensions
Five members of Iran’s squad received asylum from tournament host Australia following joint US-Israeli strikes on the country. The team had skipped the national anthem before a match against South Korea, leading Iranian state television to brand the players as ‘wartime traitors.’ After Iran’s elimination, Australian authorities extended asylum offers to those fearing reprisals at home.
The asylum seekers include players Fatemeh Pasandideh, Zahra Ghanbari, Zahra Sarbali, Atefeh Ramazanzadeh, and Mona Hamoudi. They emphasize they are athletes seeking safety, not political activists. Australian officials plan to fast-track them to permanent residency.
Location Leak Prompts Quick Action
On Tuesday, striker Mohaddeseh Zolfi, 21, and support staffer Zahra Soltan Moshkehkar also accepted asylum. However, one later reconsidered and contacted the Iranian embassy, revealing the group’s location. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke immediately ordered their relocation for safety.
“I immediately gave the instruction for people to be moved, and that’s been dealt with immediately,” Burke told parliament. He confirmed the individual who chose to return received full opportunities to stay: “This was her decision, and every question you would want asked, was asked.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised the five players as “brave women,” assuring them: “They’re safe here and they should feel at home here.”
Morgan Calls Out Rapinoe’s Silence
Morgan highlights Rapinoe’s global advocacy for women while noting her lack of comment on the Iranian athletes. “The silence over this from Rapinoe, and so many supposed ‘feminists’ like her, is so telling, damning, and hypocritical,” he posted on X.
He contrasts this with her support for transgender athletes in women’s sports: “They’d rather campaign for biological men to wreck women’s sport than campaign for these heroic young sportswomen to help save their lives.”
Morgan’s remarks follow Rapinoe’s podcast criticism of US men’s hockey players for laughing at President Donald Trump’s joke about their female counterparts. “The United States’ men’s hockey team in their utter moment of glory… ruined it for themselves because they allowed themselves to be totally co-opted by a clown,” Rapinoe said. “And now, you’re a clown. You look like a clown.”
Iran Withdraws from World Cup
Iran announces it will skip this summer’s World Cup in North America. When asked about Iran’s participation, President Trump responded to Politico: “I really don’t care.”
