Iranian authorities organized a hero's welcome for the national team, and thousands of people gathered in a square to celebrate the players' return.
A banner in the square read “My choice. My homeland.” During the tribute, AI videos appeared to show the players swearing allegiance to the Iranian flag. They also sang Iran's national anthem on site.
Iran's women's soccer team was in Australia for the Asian Championship when war broke out in their homeland. The players were branded "traitors" by Iranian state television after they failed to sing the national anthem before the opening match.
After the team was eliminated, six players and one manager sought and were granted asylum in Australia. Since then, all but two have withdrawn their asylum applications and returned home with the squad.
