Fatemeh Pasandideh
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Fatemeh Pasandideh | ||
| Date of birth | 8 April 2004 | ||
| Place of birth | Kermanshah, Iran | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2024–2026 | Bam Khatoon FC | ||
| International career | |||
| 2022–2026 | Iran | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Fatemeh Pasandideh (Persian: فاطمه پسندیده; born 8 April 2004) is an Iranian footballer who played as a midfielder for Kowsar Women Football League club Bam Khatoon FC and between 2022 and 9 March 2026 for the Iran national team. She started training with Brisbane Roar in Australia on 16 March 2026.
Early life and education
Fatemeh Pasandideh was born on 8 April 2004 in Kermanshah, Iran.[1]
Career
Pasandideh played as a midfielder for Bam Khatoon FC, which plays in the Kowsar Women Football League in Iran. She played for the club at the AFC Women's Champions League in its inaugural edition in 2024–5[2] and 2025-6.[3] She wore number 9 at Bam Khatoon.[4] After the club won the league in February 2026, Pasandideh posted on social media "A championship that found its meaning in the heart of sorrow, alongside the grieving mothers of my land and the noble people of Bam... The result of one year of effort and standing strong, out of respect for the pains that are never forgotten".[5]
She has also played in the Iran's national women's team.[6] In February 2026 she was announced as a member of the squad of 25 players by coach Marzieh Jafari for the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup, to be held in Australia.[7] She played as No.10.[8]
In March 2026, Pasandideh, along with four teammates from the national football team, left the team's training camp in Australia after being eliminated from the tournament, and sought refuge due to fears of retaliation from Iranian authorities.[9][8] After the start of the 2026 Iran war, the team had refrained from singing the Iranian national anthem before the first game of the tournament. The Australian Government under Anthony Albanese subsequently granted humanitarian visas to the players.[10][11] Although most of the original group ended up changing their minds and returned to Iran, Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanizadeh chose to remain in Australia, and on 16 March 2026 started training with Brisbane Roar.[12]
References
- ^ "Fatemeh Pasandideh Stats | Soccerway". www.soccerway.com. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
- ^ "AFC Women's Champions League 2024/25: Technical Report" (PDF). 2025. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 December 2025. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
- ^ "AFC Women's Champions League 2025-26: East Bengal beat Bam Khatoon 3-1 in group opener". Olympics.com.
- ^ "Bam Khatoon FC Women squad". BE Soccer. Archived from the original on 11 March 2026. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
- ^ Healy, Jon (10 March 2026). "Who are the Iranian Women's Asian Cup players granted asylum by Australia?". ABC News. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ "Iran to build on youth talent for AFC Asia Cup mission". newspaper.irandaily.ir. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
- ^ "Iran's women's football team announced for 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup". Tehran Times. 18 February 2026. Archived from the original on 21 February 2026. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
- ^ a b "فاطمه پسندیده، شماره ۱۰ تیم ملی زنان ایران، به استرالیا پناهنده شد (Fatemeh Pasandideh, No. 10 of the Iranian women's national team, has been granted asylum in Australia)". www-iranintl-com.translate.goog (in Persian). 9 March 2026. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
- ^ "Australia urged to offer Iran women's team refuge amid fears of backlash after refusing to sing anthem". The National. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
- ^ McIlroy, Tom; Butler, Josh; Farrer, Martin (9 March 2026). "'They are safe here': five Iranian women footballers granted humanitarian visas in Australia". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
- ^ Tregenza, Holly; Armstrong, Clare (10 March 2026). "Iranian soccer players escape minders and secure asylum in Australia". ABC News. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ Khadem, Nassim (17 March 2026). "Former Iranian footballer fears for athletes' safety as they return to Iran". ABC News. Retrieved 17 March 2026.