Iran at the World Cup: Squad breakdown
Iran is making their sixth appearance at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. They have never advanced into the Round of 16. Iran is in Group B with England, Wales and the United States. Carlos Queiroz is a European coach in his third World cup cycle.
Iranian soccer fans are critical of their national team. Many of them want to see Iran defeated. The players are in a dilemma as they are under scrutiny. They are also considered to be loyal to the Islamic Republic. If Iran wins the World Cup, they will not celebrate. They will be more disciplined. Iran's team is made up of some of the most important players.
Alireza Beiranvand is a goalkeeper for Persepolis FC. He is ranked first in the world for most clean sheets with 30. Beiraivand stopped Cristiano Ronaldo from scoring a penalty kick in Iran's World Cup 2018 group match against Portugal.
Morteza Pouraliganji is a defender for Persepolis FC. He played for Shenzhen FC in the 2021 Chinese Super League. Morteze was a member of Team Melli during FIFA World Cup 2018 under Carlos Queiroz.
Milad Mohammadi is a defender from AEK Athens. He made his second appearance at the World Cup. Mohamadi has 78 caps in the Russian Premier League and 47 in Belgium's First Division.
Vahid Amiri is a midfielder for Persepolis FC. He played for Trabzonspor in Turkey. Amir performed in Iran’s friendly against Senegal. The midfielder received back surgery.
Alireza Jahanbakhsh plays for Feyenoord Rotterdam in the Dutch Eredivisie. He is the most expensive Iranian player in history. Jahnbaksh played for Brighton & Hove Albion from 2018 to 2021.
Saeed Ezatolahi is a 25-year-old defensive midfielder. He played for Al Gharafa this year on loan from Danish Superliga club Vejle Boldklub.
Ali Gholizadeh is a forward/winger for Royal Charleroi SC. He has played for the club for 20 years and scored 21 goals in 126 appearances.
Ehsan Hajsafi is the captain of AEK Athens. He will make his third appearance in a World Cup. Haj'safi played for AEk Athens in the Greek Super League during the 2021-22 season.
Sardar Azmoun is a forward for Bayer Leverkusen. He is ranked third on Iran’s ‘All-Time Scorers” with 41 goals. Az moun tore his calf muscle in September. He's the highest-scoring Iranian in the UEFA Champions League with six goals so far.
Karim Ansarifard is a forward for Omonia. He is the successor of Ali Daei, who wore the number 10 jersey. Karim is known for his playmaking and his poise.
Majid Hosseini is a center back who plays for Kayserispor. He played against Portugal and Spain at the World Cup. Since 2021, he's made 36 appearances for Trabzonspor and scored a goal in the Turkish Super League.
Hossein Kaanani is a center back for Al Ahli. He has made 27 appearances for the club since 2021. Kaansani has been absent from the recent training camp. His club has mandated that he return to Qatar. Iran coach Carlos Queiroz has criticized the decision. Iran are playing at the World Cup. They are taking on USA, Wales and England. The team is made up of experienced players.
Saman Ghoddos was born and bred in Malmö, Sweden and plays for Brentford FC in the EPL. He played for Sweden before switching his allegiance to Iran in 2017. His parents are Iranian immigrants. Goddos has never spent a day of his life growing up in Iran. He is a midfielder who plays a variety of attacking positions.
Mehdi Taremi is a forward for FC Porto. He scored 21 goals and made 12 assists in the most recent season. Teremi has a good shot ratio of 41/98. In 60 caps for Iran, he's scored 28 goals. Since joining FCPorto in 2020, Tarmi's has scored 42 goals in 60 games. Eric Wynalda has nightmares about Mehdi. He hopes that Mehddi will shine at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
