The forward wished the Iranian team “success and pride” after being left out of the squad for the 2026 tournament.
Published May 21, 2026
Departed Iranian striker Sardar Azmoun posted a heartfelt message on social media, declaring his love for his country and wishing his World Cup team well in the tournament without him.
“I would like to speak from the bottom of my heart about some things that many people may not know or certain misconceptions that may have caused some people to judge me too quickly,” the 31-year-old wrote.
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Azmoun, his country’s second-leading scorer, was left out of coach Amir Galenoei’s reserve squad for the tournament, which was announced on Saturday.
State news agency IRNA said Azmoun was injured, while media reports in March said he had been expelled from the national team after posting photos on social media of a meeting with Dubai’s ruler Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum.
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.
Accusations of dishonesty in Iranian media in March clearly irritated Azmoun, and he addressed them in a post on Wednesday.
“I’ve always played with pride for my national team. When we won, I was proud of myself and my teammates. When we didn’t win, I was as disappointed as anyone else in the world, just like them.”
“I love football and I love the good and worthy people of my country, Iran. People’s kindness and unwavering support always gives me energy.”
Azmoun, a member of Iran’s Turkmen minority, said he received “a very lucrative offer” to represent another country when he was a teenager.
“My answer was: ‘I am a son of Iran. I want to play for my people and make them happy,'” he wrote.
“I promised myself that every time I played for Iran, I would give everything I had to bring joy to those who follow football with love, especially the children from the most remote towns and villages who celebrate our victories.
“No matter where I play soccer, my identity, my heart and my pride are Iran.”
Azmoun concluded by wishing the World Cup national team every success in the tournament.
“I wish the players, coaching staff and especially Amir Khan all the success and pride in the World Cup,” he wrote.
“My friends, go out there and break it down. Make the hearts of the Iranian people happy.”
The Iranian national team is currently holding a training camp in Turkiye. They plan to fly from there to Arizona, the U.S. tournament base, in the first week of June.
Team Melli will play New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15th, Belgium on June 21st, and finish the group stage against Egypt in Seattle five days later.
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.
