Iran At FIFA World Cup 2026: Striker Sardar Azmoun Expelled From National Team - Report

Iranian Football is back amongst the news but this time its got to with their forward Sardar Azmoun who has found himself in middle of a political storm - which could cost his place at the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026.

As per reports in the country, the former Bayer Leverkusen forward was removed from the national team after being touted as 'disloyal' towards his government.

Why Was Azmoun Removed?

31-year-old Azmoun currently plays his club football with Shabab Al Ahli in Dubai. However, a photo of his on Instagram with Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE Prime Minister, has not gone down well with his countrymen.

With the ongoing tensions boiling over Iran, especially with the UAE, the USA and Israel, Azmoun's photo with the UAE PM has sparked outrage.

Further unverified reports state that the Iranian authorities have ordered to seize the assets belonging to Azmoun, as well as other Iranian players in Mehdi Ghayedi and Soroush Rafiei.

Such was the backlash over Azmoun's post that the forward had to delete it but it has got even worse in his own country. On state television, football pundit Mohammad Misaghi has come down hard on the 31-year-old attacker.

“It’s unfortunate that you don’t have enough sense to understand what kind of behaviour is appropriate at a given time," he said.

“We should not mince words with such people… they are not worthy of wearing the national team jersey."

Azmoun remains a key face of Iranian football on the international stage. The forward has represented top European clubs such as Bayer Leverkusen, AS Roma and Zenit Saint Petersburg amongst others. He has scored 57 goals in 91 appearances since his debut in 2014.

With questions surrounding Azmoun's availability at the FIFA World Cup 2026, his potential absence could hamper their chances at the marquee tourney, which will be held across the United States, Mexico and Canada.