Iran's squad list for the 2026 World Cup.
Head coach Amir Ghalenoei has selected a preliminary 30-player squad for the Iranian national team ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026. One of the biggest surprises is the absence of star striker Sardar Azmoun.
With just over a month remaining until their opening match against New Zealand at the FIFA World Cup 2026, head coach Amir Ghalenoei has announced the preliminary squad for the Iranian national team. This marks the fourth consecutive World Cup appearance for Iran – a proud achievement for one of Asia's leading football nations.
According to the plan, the 30 players called up will travel to Türkiye next week. There, the Iranian national team will play an international friendly match against Gambia on May 29th in Antalya, before moving to their main training camp in Arizona (USA) to prepare for the biggest football event on the planet.
The decision not to include Sardar Azmoun in the preliminary squad was one of the most notable surprises from the coaching staff. The striker has long been considered one of Iran's top attacking stars and a familiar face in previous World Cups.
Azmoun's absence opens up opportunities for young forwards and new names to be given the trust at the 2026 World Cup. Mehdi Taremi – the veteran striker currently playing in Europe – continues to be retained and will be one of the pillars of the attack.
Preliminary list of 30 players for the Iran national team at the 2026 World Cup.
Goalkeepers (4 players):Alireza Beiranvand, Seyed Hossein Hosseini, Mohammad Khalifeh, Payam Niazmand.
Defenders (9 players):Danial Eiri, Ehsan Hajsafi, Saleh Hardani, Hossein Kanaani, Shoja Khalilzadeh, Milad Mohammadi, Ali Nemati, Omid Noorafkan, Ramin Rezaeian.
Midfielders (10 players):Rouzbeh Cheshmi, Saeid Ezatolahi, Mehdi Ghaedi, Saman Ghoddos, Mohammad Ghorbani, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Mohammad Mohebi, Amir Mohammad Razzaghinia, Mehdi Torabi, Aria Yousefi.
Forwards (7 players):Ali Alipour, Dennis Dargahi, Hadi Habibinejad, Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh, Amirhossein Mahmoudi, Kasra Taheri, Mehdi Taremi.
Iran's schedule in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup
At the 2026 World Cup finals, the Iranian national team will play three group stage matches according to the following schedule:
June 15th:Iran vs New Zealand - Los Angeles Stadium.
June 21st:Belgium vs Iran - Los Angeles Stadium.
June 26th:Egypt vs Iran - Seattle Stadium.
