Sardar Azmoun, Iran’s second-highest scorer, left out of national squad | OneFootball

Sardar Azmoun has been omitted from Iran’s squad for World Cup warm-up friendlies against Nigeria on Friday 27 March and Costa Rica on Wednesday 31 March in Antalya, Türkiye. According to Fars news agency, which is close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, he was reportedly left out over an act seen as disloyal to the government.

Azmoun, 31, who plays for Shabab Al-Ahli in the United Arab Emirates, is the headline omission from the 35-man list named by head coach Amir Ghalenoei. He has 57 goals in 91 caps for Team Melli.

The former Bayer Leverkusen and Roma forward angered Iranian authorities this week after posting on Instagram a photo of his meeting with Dubai’s ruler, Mohammed ben Rachid Al Maktoum.

Iran launched rocket and drone attacks against the United Arab Emirates after air strikes by the United States and Israel, which killed the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran’s participation at the World Cup, scheduled from 11 June to 19 July, is now compromised. Team Melli are due to face New Zealand on 16 June, Belgium on 21 June and Egypt on 27 June, with the first two matches in Los Angeles and the third in Seattle. Talks are under way with FIFA to relocate those fixtures to Mexico, co-host with the United States and Canada.

Source: L'Équipe