Iran left out star forward Sardar Azmoun from its 30-man preliminary squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, announced on May 16, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4]. Coach Amir Ghalenoei gave no official reason for Azmoun’s omission, but state media IRNA reported it was due to injury [1, 2, 3].
Local reports, however, link Azmoun’s exclusion to a March incident when he posted an Instagram photo with Dubai’s ruler Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum amid tensions between Iran and the UAE [1, 2, 3, 4]. Iranian media said Azmoun was expelled from the team over perceived disloyalty to the government following that meeting [1, 2, 3, 4].
Azmoun, who has scored 57 goals in 91 international matches, previously played in Europe for Bayer Leverkusen and AS Roma and currently plays for UAE club Shabab Al-Ahli [1, 2, 3, 4]. His absence marks a significant loss for Iran ahead of the World Cup.
The preliminary squad includes veterans Mehdi Taremi of Olympiacos and Alireza Jahanbakhsh, a former Brighton winger [1, 2, 3, 4]. Ghalenoei said, "Selecting 30 players for this final training camp ahead of the World Cup was the most difficult technical decision of my coaching career. I have selected players solely on technical criteria" [4]. The list will be cut to 26 players before the tournament [3, 4].
Iran’s preparations continue with a training camp in Turkey starting around May 18-19 and a confirmed friendly against Gambia on May 29 in Antalya [3, 4].
Iran’s participation in the World Cup remains shadowed by political tensions, as the nation’s Football Federation President Mehdi Taj was denied entry to Canada in April due to alleged ties to the IRGC, a group labeled terrorist by the US and Canada [1, 2, 4]. Iran requested moving its World Cup matches from the US to Mexico, but FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed games will stay in the US [1, 2]. Iran is scheduled to play group matches against New Zealand on June 15, Belgium on June 21 in Los Angeles, and Egypt on June 26 in Seattle [1, 2, 3].
As of mid-May, Iran’s squad and staff have not received visas for the tournament, but FIFA has assured the process is underway, with fingerprinting taking place in Turkey [4]. Mehdi Taj said, "No visas have been issued yet" [4].
