Sardar Azmoun's exclusion from Iran's preliminary World Cup squad has ignited a political firestorm, with many believing his omission is linked to his outspoken criticism of the regime on social media. The 31-year-old striker, who has scored 57 goals in 91 appearances for his country, was left out by coach Amir Ghalenoei despite his stellar career at clubs like Bayer Leverkusen, Roma, and Zenit St Petersburg.
Azmoun has a history of speaking out, notably during the 2022 protests following Mahsa Amini's death. On Instagram, he wrote: 'At worst I’ll be dismissed from the national team. No problem. I’d sacrifice that for one hair on the heads of Iranian women.' His recent meeting with UAE ruler Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, seen as an antagonist by Tehran, further inflamed tensions. The Iran Revolutionary Guards accused him of 'cooperation with Iran’s enemies,' and media reported his expulsion from March's friendlies.
TV pundit Mohammed Misaghi condemned Azmoun, stating: 'It’s unfortunate that you don’t have enough sense to understand what kind of behaviour is appropriate at a given time. They should be told that they are not worthy of wearing the national team jersey.' Azmoun defended himself, writing: 'No matter where I play football, my identity, my heart, and my pride are Iran.'
Some sympathy for Azmoun remains. Vice-President Abdolkarim Hosseinzadeh called for his reinstatement, saying: 'The need of the homeland is to preserve the threads of connection between its children.' However, Ghalenoei, who aims to take Iran past the group stage for the first time, cited 'technical reasons' for his decision and may be reluctant to reverse course.
Azmoun's form has dipped this season due to injuries, but he had begun to recover his sharpness. With Iran set to face New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt next month, his absence could be costly. Meanwhile, uncertainty persists over whether the team has received US visas for the World Cup.
