Azmoun, a veteran striker, is not included in the 30-man squad, which will be reduced to 26 players by June 1.
Published May 17, 2026
Iran named their World Cup reserve squad before departing for a pre-tournament training camp, but experienced forward Sardar Azmoun was noticeably absent.
Azmoun, who was reportedly expelled from the national team for what was seen as disloyalty to the government amid the US-Israel war against Iran, was not among the 30 players named to the squad on Saturday.
The 31-year-old striker from Shabab Al Ahli in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), angered Iranian authorities in March by posting a photo of a meeting with Dubai’s ruler Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on his Instagram feed, according to Iranian media reports.
Fars news agency reported in March that Azmoun had been expelled from the team, citing “sources within the national team.” The player later deleted the photo, but was still criticized on national television.
Azmoun has scored 57 goals in 91 appearances for his country, and was part of the Iranian national team in his last two World Cup appearances.
Iran’s front line at the World Cup will be led by Mehdi Taremi, who has played in major European soccer leagues and is currently traded to Olympiakos FC in the Greek top league.
Head coach Amir Galenoei said the 30-member squad will travel to Turkiye on Monday to play a training camp and friendly matches, then complete visa applications before heading to the United States.
Team Melli will return to Antalya, where they trained and played friendly matches in March.
The squad must be reduced to 26 players, the maximum for the World Cup, by June 1st.
“Selecting the 30 players who will participate in the final training camp for the World Cup was the most difficult technical decision of my coaching career,” Galenoei told the Iranian Football Federation’s website, adding that he selected the players solely on “technical criteria.”
Iran hopes to play two friendlies in Antalya. Sam Mehdzadeh, an Iranian-Canadian who heads a company that arranges friendlies for the team, said they have already decided on one match against Gambia on May 29.
The Iranian squad and support staff have not been issued visas for the World Cup, but soccer’s world governing body FIFA issued reassurances ahead of the tournament’s kick-off on June 11.
Mehdi Taj, president of the Iranian Football Federation, said on Thursday that “the visa has not been issued yet.”
Taj said the players would be fingerprinted in Turkiye as part of the visa process, but wanted to avoid traveling more than 450 kilometers from Antalya to Turkey’s capital Ankara.
Iran will begin their World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, before playing Belgium in the same city and then Egypt in Group G in Seattle.
