Sardar Azmoun left out as Iran announce World Cup 2026 squad
Summary
Iran named a 30-player preliminary squad for the 2026 World Cup without including experienced forward Sardar Azmoun. The team will train in Turkey before heading to the United States for the tournament, with a final squad of 26 players to be decided by June 1.Key Facts
- Sardar Azmoun, a 31-year-old forward, was left out of Iran’s preliminary World Cup squad.
- Azmoun was reportedly expelled due to a controversy involving a photo with Dubai’s ruler, which upset Iranian authorities.
- Azmoun has scored 57 goals in 91 appearances for Iran and played in the last two World Cups.
- Iran’s forward line will be led by Mehdi Taremi, who currently plays for Olympiacos FC in Greece.
- The 30-player squad will travel to Turkey for training and friendly matches before going to the US.
- Iran must cut the squad from 30 to 26 players by June 1.
- The team’s first World Cup match is against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15.
- Iranian players have not yet received visas for the US, but FIFA has reassured that this will be handled before the tournament.
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