Iran's Controversial FIFA World Cup 2026 Squad Selection Raises Eyebrows
Iran's World Cup Preparations Amid Controversy
As Iran gears up for the FIFA World Cup 2026, the nation finds itself at the center of controversy, particularly due to its strained relations with the United States. Following speculation about their participation in the tournament, the Iranian national team made a surprising decision by excluding Sardar Azmoun from the 26-player roster announced by head coach Amir Ghalenoei on June 1. Azmoun, who ranks as the third-highest goal scorer for Iran with 57 goals in 91 appearances, is a notable omission, especially considering only Ali Daei and Mehdi Taremi have netted more goals for the country.
The decision to leave Azmoun out appears to be influenced by a political incident stemming from a social media post he made in March during heightened tensions between the US and Iran. In the post, Azmoun shared a photo with Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, which sparked significant backlash due to the adversarial relationship between Iran and the UAE. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards condemned the post, labeling it as 'collaboration with Iran’s adversaries.'
Interestingly, Azmoun currently plays for Shabab AlAhli Dubai FC, a club in the UAE Pro League. In response to the criticism, he expressed his commitment to representing Iran passionately, stating, 'I promised myself that every time I played for Iran, I would give everything I had to bring joy to the people who follow football with love – especially the children in the most remote towns and villages who celebrate our victories.'
Azmoun was also absent from Iran's squad for friendly matches against Nigeria and Costa Rica during the March international break. This latest controversy unfolds as the team awaits their US visas, having relocated their training to Mexico. Despite this, all three of Iran's group stage matches are set to occur in the USA. Iran will kick off their campaign against New Zealand on June 15 at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, followed by a match against Belgium on June 22 at the same venue, and concluding with a game against Egypt in Seattle.
In Azmoun's absence, Mehdi Taremi, who is Iran's second-highest goal scorer with 58 goals in 103 matches, will take on a pivotal role as the team's key player.
Iran's FIFA World Cup Squad:
Goalkeepers: Alireza Beiranvand, Seyed Hossein Hosseini, Payam Niazmand
Defenders: Danial Eiri, Ehsan Hajsafi, Saleh Hardani, Hossein Kanaani, Shoja Khalilzadeh, Milad Mohammadi, Ali Nemati, 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, Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh, Mehdi Taremi, Shahriar Moghanlou.