MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Another three members of the Iran's women’s soccer team who accepted refugee visas to stay in Australia have decided to return to their homeland, an Australian government minister said on Sunday.
The departure leaves three of an initial seven squad members in Australia.
“Overnight, three members of the Iranian Women’s Football Team made the decision to join the rest of the team on their journey back to Iran,” Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said in a statement.
“After telling Australian officials they had made this decision, the players were given repeated chances to talk about their options,” Burke added.
Iran's team arrived in Australia for the Women’s Asian Cup last month, before the war in the Middle East began on Feb. 28.
Initially, six players and a support staff member from a squad list of 26 players accepted humanitarian visas to stay in Australia before the rest of the Iranian contingent flew from Sydney to Malaysia on March 9.
Another later changed her mind and left Australia. Three left Sydney for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Saturday night, a government official said. The rest of the team has remained in Kuala Lumpur since they left Australia.
Iran's Tasnim News Agency said the latest three to leave Australia were two players and the support staff member. The three were “returning to the warm embrace of their family and homeland,” the news outlet said in a statement.
Concerns about the team's safety in Iran heightened when the players didn't sing the Iranian national anthem before their first match.
The Australian government was urged to help the woman by Iranian groups in Australia and by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Iranian news agency described the women's return to the team as the “disgraceful failure of the American-Australian project and another failure for Trump.”
Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke speaks to the media during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (Lukas Coch/AAPImage via AP)/AAP Image via AP)
Max Dowman, a 16-year-old Arsenal winger, became the Premier League's youngest ever scorer with a remarkable stoppage-time goal in his team's 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday.
Dowman collected the ball midway in his own half, dribbled around two Everton players and raced clear unchallenged from the halfway line to tap into an empty net, with Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford stranded upfield having gone forward for a corner.
An English soccer prodigy, Dowman — at 16 years, 73 days — was playing just his third Premier League match after two previous substitute appearances at the start of the season.
“He doesn’t seem to be fazed by the occasion or the moment or the context or the opponent, he just plays so naturally,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said. “He makes decisions to make things happen, and what he delivered was incredible.”
Asked what he said to Dowman after deciding to bring him on, Arteta replied: “Go and do your thing and win us the game.”
Dowman broke the record of former Everton player James Vaughan, who was 16 years, 270 days when he scored against Crystal Palace in 2005.
In November, Dowman became the youngest player in Champions League history at 15 years, 308 days when he entered as a second-half substitute against Slavia Prague.
Dowman is still in school. He was 14 when he was asked by Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to train with the senior team in December last year and he starred on the club’s preseason tour of Asia in matches against AC Milan and Newcastle.
To abide by Premier League regulations for players under 18, Dowman has to change into his Arsenal kit for training sessions and matches in a separate locker room than his senior teammates.
1. Max Dowman: 16 years, 73 days (for Arsenal against Everton on 2026)
2. James Vaughan: 16 years, 270 days (for Everton against Crystal Palace in 2005)
3. James Milner: 16 years, 356 days (for Leeds against Sunderland in 2002)
4. Wayne Rooney: 16 years, 360 days (for Everton against Arsenal in 2002)
5. Rio Ngumoha: 16 years, 361 days (for Liverpool against Newcastle in 2025)
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Arsenal's Viktor Gyoekeres, left, and Max Dowman celevrate after a goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Everton in London, England, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Everton's Vitaliy Mykolenko pulls Arsenal's Max Dowman during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Everton in London, England, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Arsenal's Max Dowman scores during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Everton in London, England, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Arsenal's Max Dowman in action to scoreduring the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Everton in London, England, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
