Iran World Cup 2026 team guide

This article is portion of nan Guardian’s 2026 World Cup Experts’ Network, a practice betwixt immoderate of nan champion media organisations from nan 48 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is moving previews from 3 countries each time successful nan run-up to nan tourney kicking disconnected connected 11 June.

The plan

Iran were 1 of nan first teams to unafraid qualification for nan 2026 World Cup and, compared to erstwhile campaigns, they had a comparatively soft way to nan tournament. However, preparing nan squad for nan title has been thing but easy. Iran’s conflicts pinch nan US and Israel threw their engagement astatine nan World Cup into superior doubt – all 3 of their group games return spot successful nan US – and Amir Ghalenoei, nan manager, and his coaching unit person had to activity difficult to minimise disruption.

Nevertheless, successful their 2 friendlies successful March against Nigeria and Costa Rica, Iran showed that they person different plans successful mind for nan World Cup. In nan first lucifer against Nigeria, they lined up successful a 3-6-1 statement – a setup Ghalenoei described arsenic nan team’s “defensive scheme B”, apt designed for nan group gathering pinch Belgium. In nan 2nd crippled against Costa Rica, Ghalenoei utilized a 4-4-2 formation, indicating that he intends to displacement strategies depending connected nan opponent. The superior strategy remains 4-2-3-1, which Iran utilized successful astir of qualifying.

A fewer players tin consciousness definite of their spot successful nan starting lineup sloppy of nan formation. Alireza Beiranvand will beryllium Iran’s first-choice goalkeeper for a 3rd consecutive World Cup. Shojae Khalilzadeh is nan only centre-back guaranteed a starting spot, while Saeid Ezatolahi, if afloat fit, is nan undisputed No 6 successful midfield. Up front, whether Iran play pinch 1 striker aliases two, Mehdi Taremi – wearing nan captain’s armband – will lead nan line. Another prima forward, Sardar Azmoun, has been near out. He is simply a divisive fig successful Iran aft nan publication of photos pinch nan ruler of nan United Arab Emirates, who supported nan US and Israel during nan war.

Despite nan problems and controversies surrounding nan nationalist team, who moved their World Cup guidelines campy from nan US to Mexico conscionable weeks earlier nan tournament, Ghalenoei still believes his broadside are tin of achieving thing special. “We’ve had galore problems recently, but nan players tried their champion and made sacrifices. They worked truthful difficult [through qualification] and sacrificed a lot, truthful it is my occupation to convey them. They tin do thing epic successful nan World Cup. They tin do it, they person nan method imaginable to make this a World Cup to remember.”

The coach

Amir Ghalenoei was a diminutive midfielder who played chiefly for Esteghlal, 1 of Tehran’s 2 biggest clubs. The astir memorable infinitesimal of his playing profession was a beingness altercation successful nan Tehran derby that resulted successful a six-month suspension. As a coach, Ghalenoei went connected to go 1 of nan astir dressed up managers successful Iran, though his fierce characteristic has prevented him from becoming universally popular. This is his 2nd spell successful complaint of nan nationalist team. He first took complete aft nan 2006 World Cup but was dismissed pursuing Iran’s elimination from nan 2007 AFC Asian Cup – an section he still recalls bitterly. Success this summertime would springiness Ghalenoei an opportunity to settee aged scores pinch his longtime critics.

Star player

Mehdi Taremi has ne'er genuinely been a instrumentality favourite, but location is nary uncertainty that if Iran are to execute thing important astatine nan World Cup, their hopes will remainder connected nan shape of a subordinate who has delivered consistently for Porto, Inter, and Olympiakos. Having spent respective years competing astatine nan highest level successful Europe, Taremi has developed assurance and authority, to nan constituent that he is now influential successful nan team’s soul decisions arsenic well. He is simply a hard-working striker who besides contributes defensively. His top spot lies successful making runs successful down nan opposition’s defence and uncovering himself one-on-one pinch nan goalkeeper. In those situations, he is ever fresh either to people aliases spell down astatine nan slightest contact, and triumph a punishment for his team.

Iran’s Mehdi Taremi (left) attempts to spell past Nigeria’s goalkeeper Maduka Okoye during their friends successful March. Photograph: Cenk Ozel/EPA

One to watch

Many successful Iran expected Mehdi Ghayedi to create into a awesome star, but contention and off-field distractions look to person followed him everywhere. So acold he has grounded to execute nan level of consistency and continuity that had been expected of him but he is only 27 and should beryllium successful his highest years. The lightning-fast Al-Nasr (UAE) winger could, successful fact, go Ghalenoei’s astonishment limb successful North America. With his dazzling dribbling skills and precise finishing, Ghayedi is tin of producing eye-catching moments. After spending immoderate clip sidelined done injury, he marked his return to nan nationalist squad pinch a stunning extremity against Costa Rica successful March.

Unsung hero

Since making his debut almost a decade ago, Saman Ghoddos has been a reliable, accordant personnel of nan Iran squad. However, since he has ne'er played for an Iranian club, he has not benefited from nan accepted support of nine fans, and arsenic a result, has received little media attention. Nevertheless, acknowledgment to his bully characteristic and professionalism, nan erstwhile Brentford subordinate – who tin play almost anyplace connected nan transportation – is simply a well-liked fig wrong nan team. Born successful Malmö, Sweden, he near nan Premier League for Kalba successful nan UAE successful 2024.

Probable starting XI

Illustration: Guardian

What to expect from fans astatine games?

For nan 2nd consecutive World Cup, Iranians are profoundly divided complete nan nationalist team. On 1 broadside are nan supporters who backmost Team Melli nether immoderate circumstances; connected nan different are those who reason nan Iranian authorities and truthful for illustration to spot nan nationalist squad – which they position arsenic representing nan authorities – lose. Given nan visa restrictions facing Iranians travelling to nan US, a ample information of Iran’s supporters astatine nan tourney will astir apt beryllium members of nan diaspora already surviving successful America, galore of whom are opposed to nan authorities successful Tehran. Like successful Qatar successful 2022, Fifa is expected to prohibition nan Shir-o-Khorshid (lion and sun) emblem – Iran’s pre-revolutionary emblem – from stadiums, but it would not beryllium astonishing to perceive chants successful support of Reza Pahlavi, nan erstwhile crown prince of Iran. Likewise, if Iran concede goals aliases suffer matches, sections of nan crowd are apt to observe those moments openly.

Relationship pinch nan US/Trump?

After nan outbreak of nan caller war, superior doubts emerged complete whether Iran’s nationalist squad would recreation to nan US for nan World Cup. Ahmad Donyamali, Iran’s sports minister, said: “Given that this corrupt authorities has assassinated our leader, nether nary circumstances tin we return portion successful nan World Cup.” After Donald Trump stated that nan Iran squad mightiness not beryllium guaranteed information while travelling to nan US, Ghalenoei responded sharply successful an Instagram story: “No 1 tin support nan Iranian nationalist squad retired of nan World Cup.” In nan end, nan determination was made that Iran should return part. One important logic was nan cognition that Trump would for illustration to spot nan title held without Iran’s presence, and Iranian officials did not want withdrawing from nan tourney to beryllium seen arsenic giving nan president what he wanted. Despite nan information concerns, nan Iranian authorities views nan nationalist team’s information arsenic different symbolic triumph against Trump and nan US.