Iran politician kindly asks manager to include star player in World Cup squad after he was left out.
An Iranian politician has asked coach Amir Ghalenoei to bring back one of the country’s top players to the national team before the World Cup.
Iran was one of the first teams to qualify for the World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. However, doubts about their participation have come up recently because of conflicts involving the US and Israel with Iran.
On Monday, Mexico’s president Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico will host Iran’s training camp during the tournament since the US refused to do so. Under this plan, Iran will travel to the US just before each of their three group matches, then quickly return to Mexico.
Sheinbaum told reporters, “We have no reason to stop them from staying in Mexico.”
Now, all eyes are on the final 26-man Iran squad, which will be announced soon. On May 16, coach Ghalenoei revealed a 30-man provisional squad, but it didn’t include Sardar Azmoun, a former player for Bayer Leverkusen, Roma, and Zenit Saint Petersburg.
Azmoun, 31, is Iran’s third-highest goalscorer after Ali Daei and Mehdi Taremi but hasn’t played for Iran since June 2025. He spoke out against the Iranian government after protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman arrested for allegedly not wearing a hijab.
The Iranian government denied police brutality, but a UN investigation in 2024 found Iran responsible for the physical violence that led to her death. In March 2026, Iranian media said Azmoun was dropped from the team for disloyalty after he posted a photo with Dubai’s ruler Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
However, Iranian politician Abdolkarim Hosseinzadeh, Vice President for Rural Development Affairs, supports bringing Azmoun back. On Twitter, he wrote, “Our country needs to keep its people united. Anyone who puts Iran above personal issues is a part of our national strength. Let’s not ignore Sardar Azmoun’s act of showing this bond, and if possible, bring him back. This isn’t just a sports decision but a message for national unity.”
Besides Azmoun and star striker Mehdi Taremi, who played for Porto and Inter Milan, several Iranian players are known to Premier League fans. Former Brentford midfielder Saman Ghoddos and ex-Brighton player Alireza Jahanbakhsh are part of the provisional squad. Defender Ehsan Hajsafi, who has 144 caps and could be one of the most experienced players in the World Cup, might also make the final team.