Atefeh Ramezanizadeh

Atefeh Ramezanizadeh
Ramezanizadeh (right) in 2022
Personal information
Date of birth (1992-04-21) 21 April 1992
Place of birth Baft, Iran
Position Defender
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2026 Bam Khatoon
International career
2016– Iran
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Atefeh Ramezanizadeh (Persian: عاطفه رمضانی‌زاده; born 21 April 1992) is an Iranian-Australian professional footballer who plays as a defender and midfielder.

Early life

Atefeh Ramezanizadeh was born in Baft, Iran,[1] on 21 April 1992.[2]

Career

Ramezanizadeh became a professional footballer, playing as a defender[1] and midfielder.[2]

In Iran, she played for the Kowsar Women Football League club Bam Khatoon and, from 2016, for the Iran national team.[3][4][5]

In April 2017, she played four games in the AFC Women's Asian Cup Qualification round.[6]

She played for the national team at least 7 times in 2025-2026, including in the 2026 AFC Women's Champions League. She also played for Bam Khatoon against other international club teams three times in 2025.[1]

Defection

In March 2026, Ramezanizadeh, along with several teammates from the Iranian women's national football team, left the team's training camp in Australia during the 2026 AFC Women's Champions League and sought asylum. This was due to fears of retaliation from Iranian authorities, after the team had refrained from singing the Iranian national anthem.[7][8] Although most of the original group ended up changing their minds and returned to Iran, Fatemeh Pasandideh and Ramezanizadeh chose to remain in Australia, and on 16 March started training with Brisbane Roar.[9] On 25 March, Ramezanizadeh posted a message to her teammates back in Iran, saying "You were not just teammates to me, you were my family. Thank you for all the laughter and hardships we spent together. You will always be in my heart".[10]

On 5 August 2026 Ramezanisadeh, along with teammate Pasandideh, were sworn in as Australian citizens by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke.[11]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 "Atefeh Ramezanizadeh". Global Sports Archive. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Atefeh Ramezanizadeh". Soccerway. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  3. ↑ "عاطفه رمضانی : نگذاشتند عنوان خانم گلی به خاتون بم برسد | افرا ورزش | رسانه تحلیلی ورزش ایران". iwsports.ir. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  4. ↑ "Game Day! Sweden v Iran: International friendly (21 October 2016)". Womens Soccer United. 21 October 2016. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  5. ↑ "دعوت از ۳۵ بازیکن به اردوی تیم ملی فوتبال زنان". ورزش سه (in Persian). Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  6. ↑ "Atefeh Ramezanizadeh - Profile and Statistics". SoccerPunter. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  7. ↑ "Australia urged to offer Iran women's team refuge amid fears of backlash after refusing to sing anthem". The National. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
  8. ↑ 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.
  9. ↑ Khadem, Nassim (17 March 2026). "Former Iranian footballer fears for athletes' safety as they return to Iran". ABC News. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  10. ↑ "One of the two Iranian footballers who remained in Australia has taken to social media to deliver a message to her teammates who have recently returned home to Tehran. Atefeh Ramezanizadeh received permanent asylum in Australia alongside teammate Fatemeh Pasandideh, following Iran's exit from the Women's Asian Cup". 10 Sport. Retrieved 1 April 2026 – via Facebook.
  11. ↑ Hammond, Ned (6 August 2026). "Two Iranian women's team soccer players granted Australian citizenship". ABC News. Archived from the original on 6 August 2026. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
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