Iran’s attacking talisman Sardar Azmoun was a notable absence from coach Amir Ghalenoei’s provisional World Cup squad as the team prepares for the tournament in North America amid diplomatic tensions over its participation.
Ghalenoei did not explain the reason for omitting Azmoun, who has scored 57 goals in 91 caps, but the Iranian state news agency IRNA reported that the former Bayer Leverkusen and AS Roma striker had been ruled out due to injury.
Azmoun, who plays for Shabab Al-Ahli in the United Arab Emirates, was also left out of the Iranian squad in March after local media reported he had been expelled from the national team for an alleged act of disloyalty to the government.
Azmoun posted a photo on his Instagram in March reported on a meeting with Dubai’s ruler, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Iran had launched missile and drone strikes on the UAE, following airstrikes by the United States and Israel, which killed the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The 30-man squad was announced on Saturday, before Iran heads to Turkey next week to continue its tournament preparations.
Veterans Mehdi Taremi, who plays for Olympiakos, and former Brighton & Hove Albion winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh were included in the squad.
Iran’s participation in the June 11-July 19 tournament has been under discussion since the US and Israel attacked Iran in late February.
Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) President Mehdi Taj was denied entry to Canada for the FIFA Congress in Vancouver in April due to his ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
The US and Canada, which are co-hosting the World Cup with Mexico, classify the IRGC as a «terrorist entity» and have made it clear they will not admit people linked to the military elite.
Iran requested its matches be moved to Mexico, but FIFA president Gianni Infantino said all matches would be played as originally scheduled.
Iran will play all three group matches in the United States. They will face New Zealand on June 15, Belgium on June 21 in Los Angeles, and Egypt in Seattle five days later.
IRAN TEAM
Goalkeepers: Alireza Beiranvand, Seyed Hossein Hosseini, Mohammad Khalifeh, Payam Niazmand
Defenders: Danial Eiri, Ehsan Hajsafi, Saleh Hardani, Hossein Kanaani, Shoja Khalilzadeh, Milad Mohammadi, Ali Nemati, Omid Noorafkan, Ramin Rezaeian
Midfielders: Rouzbeh Cheshmi, Saeid Ezatolahi, Mehdi Ghaedi, Saman Ghoddos, Mohammad Ghorbani, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Mohammad Mohebi, Amir Mohammad Razzaghinia, Mehdi Torabi, Aria Yousefi
Forwards: Ali Alipour, Dennis Dargahi, Hadi Habibinejad, Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh, Amirhossein Mahmoudi, Kasra Taheri, Mehdi Taremi
Published on May 18, 2026
