Where is Sardar Azmoun? Why Iran's best player is not at World Cup
Where is Sardar Azmoun? Why Iran's best player is not at World Cup
Jack McKessy, USA TODAYTue, June 16, 2026 at 12:00 AM UTC
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Only 10 players in the history of Iran's national soccer team have appeared in more international games than Sardar Azmoun. He's not with the squad as they compete in the 2026 World Cup.
Iran's head coach Amir Ghalenoei did not select Azmoun – the Iranian forward whose 57 goals in international competition rank third all-time among his countrymen – for the team.
"I am very sad," Azmoun said on Varzesh3's online World Cup show, per Erfan Hoseiny. "I have many things to say, which I won't say for now."
According to Reuters, Iranian media reported in March that Azmoun was "expelled from the national team for a perceived act of disloyalty to the government." The outlet reported that the central issue was an Instagram post Azmoun shared in January that showed him shaking hands with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates. The veteran forward has since deleted the post.
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Azmoun, 31, has played for Dubai-based club Shabab Al Ahli in the UAE Pro League since signing a three-year contract in 2024.
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A report from the Wall Street Journal in May indicated that the UAE "has been secretly carrying out attacks on Iran" as the United States has targeted Iran's military capabilities in Operation Epic Fury. Reuters reported that Iran "has launched rocket and drone attacks on the UAE."
"I have always played for my national team with pride," Azmoun wrote in an Instagram post. "When we won, I was proud of myself and my team-mates. When we didn't, I was more upset than anyone else in the world, just like them. I love football, and I love the good and deserving people of my country, Iran."
After Azmoun's expulsion from the team in March, he was left off the squad for two international friendlies against Nigeria and Costa Rica that month. In May, Ghalenoei announced Iran's national team's preliminary squad, and Azmoun was still not a part of it. The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), a media organization funded and controlled by the government of Iran, reported at the time Azmoun was injured.
Azmoun told Varzesh3, "I know I could've been of help at this time."
Iran's national team arrived in the U.S. on Sunday, June 14. They are set to play their first match of this year's World Cup against New Zealand on Monday, June 15.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why Sardar Azmoun, Iran's best player, is not at the 2026 World Cup
Source: “AOL Sports”
