Sardar Azmoun left out as Iran announce World Cup 2026 squad
Iran has announced a 30-man preliminary squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, notably excluding veteran striker Sardar Azmoun. The team will train in Turkiye before traveling to the United States, with the squad set to be reduced to 26 by June 1. Iran is scheduled to play two friendlies during their training camp, including one against The Gambia.
- ▪Sardar Azmoun was left out of Iran's 30-man World Cup squad after reportedly being expelled for posting a photo with Dubai's ruler.
- ▪Iran's squad will train in Antalya, Turkiye, ahead of the tournament and must be reduced to 26 players by June 1.
- ▪The team has not yet received U.S. visas but will begin their World Cup campaign on June 15 against New Zealand in Los Angeles.
- ▪Mehdi Taremi will lead Iran's forward line at the tournament, while head coach Amir Ghalenoei cited technical criteria for player selection.
- ▪Iran will face Belgium in Los Angeles and Egypt in Seattle during the group stage, all within Group G.
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Sport|World Cup 2026Sardar Azmoun left out as Iran announce World Cup 2026 squadVeteran striker Azmoun was not named in the 30-man squad, which will be trimmed to 26 by June 1.ListenListen (3 mins)SaveClick here to share on social mediashare-nodesSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoIran's squad will train in Turkiye before the FIFA World Cup 2026 [File: Adem Altan/AFP]By Al Jazeera Staff and ReutersPublished On 17 May 202617 May 2026Experienced forward Sardar Azmoun was a glaring omission as Iran named their preliminary World Cup squad before departing for a pre-tournament training camp.Azmoun, who was reportedly expelled from the national team for a perceived act of disloyalty to the government amid the US-Israel war on Iran, was not among the 30…
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