After the “treacherous” announcement, the Iranian federation is in trouble before the handing over of the World Cup rosters

With the 2026 World Cup less than a month away, Iranian football is once again at the intersection of sport and politics.

As the deadline for the final lists approaches, uncertainty still surrounds the fate of Iran’s all-time top scorer Sardar Azmoun, after he was left out of the preliminary list amid official calls for his return in the name of “national unity”.

The president of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, stated that he does not have any official information that the technical staff can withdraw the decision to remove Azmoun and include him in the final team.

In statements to state television, Taj said: “The issue will be resolved through appropriate channels, but I have no information about Sardar’s situation at this time.”

Coach Amir Jalinoy has left Azmoun (31), the team’s current top scorer with 57 goals, out of the preliminary World Cup squad, with local reports linking the decision to political dimensions related to “disloyalty” related to the political and military events Tehran has witnessed recently.

The developments prompted Iran’s Vice President Abdel Karim Hossein Zadeh to publicly intervene via the “X” platform, demanding the striker’s return to the national team, calling the move “a message of support for national unity and not just a sporting decision”.

Azmoun, who plays for Emirati club Al-Ahly, posted a picture on Instagram of his country’s national team, which landed in southern Turkey on Monday to hold a training camp and complete visa procedures for the US, which hosts the finals with Canada and Mexico.

He wrote: “It is true that I am not with you, but since you are my friends, there is no reason why I should not wish you success. There are many people who try to distort my reputation, but what is said is not true at all. Good luck, guys.”

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The controversy comes at a very critical time, as FIFA has set next Monday, early June, as the deadline to submit the final 26-man rosters, putting the Football Association and technical staff under unprecedented time and political pressure to resolve the fate of one of Iran’s most popular football stars.