Home / Sports / Shock Ouster: Azmoun Out of Iran's World Cup Team
Shock Ouster: Azmoun Out of Iran's World Cup Team
16 Jun
Summary
- Sardar Azmoun, Iran's third-highest goal scorer, was not selected for the World Cup.
- Reports suggest his exclusion stems from a perceived disloyalty to the government.
- Azmoun expressed sadness and a desire to have helped the team.
Sardar Azmoun, a prominent forward for Iran's national soccer team and its third-highest all-time scorer, has been notably excluded from the squad participating in the 2026 World Cup. This decision by head coach Amir Ghalenoei has led to Azmoun expressing significant disappointment.
Media reports from March suggest Azmoun's expulsion was linked to a social media post perceived as disloyal to the government, although he has since deleted it. Azmoun, who plays club football in the UAE, stated he has always played with pride for his country and loves its people.
Despite his desire to contribute, Azmoun was not included in the preliminary squad announced in May, with the government-funded Islamic Republic News Agency citing injury. The Iranian national team arrived in the U.S. on June 14 for their first match on June 15 against New Zealand.
